Weekly journal-miner., 1915-12-15
AUSTRIA M US I MAKE PROMPT
 PREPARATION
lContinued from page D

Continued from page D
 before the crew and passengers were all able to take to the boats the sub marine fired a number of shells at the vessel and finally torpedoed and sank her while there were yet many per sons on board; and that by gunfre and laundering of the vessel a large number of persons lost their lives or were seriously injured, among whom were citizens of the United States.
 "The public statement of the Aus tro- Hungarian admiralty has been brought to the attention of the gov ernment of the United States and re- ceived careful consideration. This statement substantially confirms the principal declaration of the survivors, as it admits that the Ancona after be- ing shelled, was torpedoed and sunk while persons were still on board.
 "The Austro-Hungarian govern ment has been advised, through the correspondence which has passed be- tween the United States and Germany of the attitude of the government of the United States as to the use of sub marines in attacking vessels of com merce, and the acquiescence of Ger many in that attitude, yet with full knowledge on the part of the Austro- Hungarian government of the views of the government of the United States as expressed in no uncertain terms to the ally of Austria Hungary, tine commander of the submarine which attacked the Ancona failed to put ill a place of safety the crew and passengers of the vessel which they purposed to destroy, because, it is presumed, of the impossibility of talk ing it into port as prize of war.
 "The government of the United States considers that the commander violated the principles of information al law and of humanity by smelling and torpedoing the Ancona before the persons on board had been put in a place of safety or even given sufici- cnt time to leave the vessel. The con duct of the commander can only be characterized as wanton slaughter of defenseless non-combatants since, at the time when the vessel was shelled and torpedoed, she was not, it appears, resisting or attempting to escape; and no other reason is sufficient to excuse such an attack, not even the possi- bility of rescue.
 "The government of the United States, therefore, is forced to conclude either that the commander of the submarine acted in violation of his instructions or that the imperial and royal governments failed to issue in structions to commanders of its sub marines in accordance with the law of nations and the principles of hu- nlanity. The government of the Unit ed States is unwilling to believe the latter alternative and to credit the Austro-H Hungarian government with an intention to permit its submarines to destroy the lives of helpless men, women and children. It prefers to believe that the commander of the submarine committed this outrage without authority and contrary to the general or special instructions which he had received.
 "As the good relations of the two countries must rest upon a common regard for law and humanity, tine government of the United States can not be expected to do otherwise than to demand that the imperial and roy al government denounce tine sinking of the Ancona as an illegal and inde fensible act; that the officer who per petrated the deed be punished; and that reparation by the payment of in demnity be made for the citizens of the United States who were killed or injured by the attack on the vessel.
 "Tne government of the United States expects that the Austro-Hun- garian government, approaching the gravity of the case, will accede to it's demand promptly; and it rests this on tine belief that the Austro- Hungarian government win not sanction or defend an act which is condemned by the world as inhu- mane and barbarous, which is abhor- rent to all civilized nations, and which has caused the death of innocent Am erican citizens.
 LANSING"