New-York tribune., 1915-12-19
New Note ignores
Plea, Repeats
Demands.
NO TIME LIMIT
SET FOR REPLY
Avoids Form of Ultimatum
and Gives Chance for
Agreement.
fRrnrn III. rrthnne Rnrrau.l

[From Tn. Tribune Burssul
Washington, Dec. l8.-A direct
threat to break off relations unless
the American demands in the An
coma case are met fully and prompt
ly is understood to be contained in
the note drafted by Secretary Ian
sing and approved by the President
to-day.
While this alternative was limited
at in the first note, which declared
that good relations between the
two countries must rest upon COM
mon regard for law and humanity"
the new document, it is declared,
leaves no doubt as TO the course the
United States will pursue unless
complete satisfaction is given.
The note will be coded and sent
tomorrow. Allowing for the usual
delays in transmission, due TO the
lack Of direct communication with
Vienna, it will probably reach Am
bassador Penfield on Tuesday and
he presented to the Austrian For
eigr Office the following day.
Tne administration openly resent
ed to-day the inference that the An
cora case would be made a subject
of debate with Austria Hungary
While its second note is admittedly
not an ultimatum, it declines the
Austrian offer TO discuss the facts
and reiterates the demands made in
the original protest.
Officials declared emphatically
that the Ancona case would not be
allowed to lapse into second Lusi-
tania controversy, and that the
American public, including even the
most vigorous minded, would be sat
isfied with the course taken.
helutts AuSiridn tldilH.
The note is designed TO meet the
Austrian objection that the first one
did not specify clearly either the facts
on which the complaint was based or
the law which was violated by the Aus
trian commander. The State Depart
ment points to the Austrian Admiralty's
official statement for the facts, and in
vokes the principle Of international law
that the lives Of non-combatants, es-
pecially Of neutrals, on unresisting
merchant ships must be spared
The official statement Of the Austrian
Admiralty said:
Submarine pursued steamer and
continued firing. Steamer stopped only
when hit several times. Submarine al
lowed forty-iye minutes to abandon
steamer, where panic reigned, but only
a small number Of boats were lowered,
and occupied principally by crew. A
great number of boats-probably suf-
ficient to save all the psssengers-re-
NAMED unoccupied. After fifty minutes
the submarine, in the presence OF an
other approaching steamer, submerged
and torpedoed the Ancons. which sank
after further forty-fve minutes"
This admission, the State Depart
ment holds, contains all the facts nee
essary to the American case. The new
note will make this point clear. It will
insist that without further discussion
the Austrian government grant the de-
mands contained in the first note,
namely, that the crime be disayowed,
reparation be made and the submarine
commander be punished.
The President spent great part OF
his wedding day revising the draft pre-
pared by Secretary Lansing. AS no
time limit 10 set for the Austrian re-
ply, because of the desire to avoid the
form of an ultimatum, IL is expected
that the Vienna government will take
time for full delibeFation before an
swering, and that the crisis will not be
reached until the President returns
from his wedding trip.
Break Unless Austria Complies.
at would he wrong to say that the
situation is no longer grave" a high
official Of the State Department said
tonight. "The United States has not
yielded in the smallest degree. We are
determined TO have complete satisfac-
tion from Austria, and the Austrian
government will understand from the
note that is now being prepared that a
rupture in relations %ill follow unless
such satisfaction is given. We are not
preparing 10 debate the Ancona case
we are merely restating our position IN
a way that makes further evasion by
Austria impossible.
II is admitted that the logical step
would be the sending of an ulttmatum.
State Department officials, however,
point out that as an ultimatum Is con-
sidercd unfriendly In diplomacy. II
would place this government in the po-
sition of an aggressor. II would also
make break certain. whereas the
course chosen gives the Austrian gov