New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-23
Ancona and Lusitania.

when he said that he hau SHI6lo-'i'N an
mind" The tone and character OF the
note suggest that the Ancona controversy
with Austria-Hungary may be allowed 10.
develop along much the same lines as did
the L.usitania controversy with Germany
The note published yesterday was her
aided by the usual press agent advance
notices, emphasizing its nrmness ana
yicor. The country was told that oihcial
Washington was plunged in gloom, that
II could see nothing ahead but an lmme-
date crisis in our relations with Austria
Hungary, Just as an immediate crisis IN.
orr relations with Germany was fore
east as the result Of each Of the three
Lustania notes, of the Arabic case and OF
numerous other incidents.
The text of the communication just de-
livered in Vienna does not bear out the
warnings of the press agents. The sec
ond Ancona note is milder in spirit than
the first one was. 1t does not 1orestall
further argument. In fact it distinctly
invites a further and perhaps an elaDo-
rate exchange of letters by saying that
our State Department "does not under
stand that the Imperial and Royal Gov
eminent [of Austria-HungaryI questions
or disputes" the principles on when the
United States bases its demands for dis
avowal ard reparation.
That the Imperial and Royal Govern
ment does question and dispute the valid
itv of the demands made by the United
States and the arguments advanced M
presenting those demands in the first An.
coma note is axiomatic. Vienna can find a
good deal of matter in the first note which
lends itself to fruitful counter argument.
An obvious flaw in that note was the
attempt to tie up the Ancona case with
the Lusitania case. This suggestion OF
resemblance was unfortunate, since the
circumstances of the attack on the An
coma differed materially from the circum-
stances of the attack on the Lusitania,
and an allusion to the very meagre sat
isfaction which we have obtained from
Germany could hardly have been expected
TO help our cause in demanding a much
larger measure of satisfaction from Aus
tria-Hungary.
The Lusitania was torpedOed without
warning. It was massacre from am
bush. pure and simple. The Ancona tried
TO run away when signalled to stop, and
was torpedoed after some opportunity
though not a sufficient opportunity
given to the crew and passengers TO take
TO small boats.
international law clearly fixes culpa-
bil.ty for the loss of American passengers
On the Ancona on the Austro-Hungarian
submarine commander. American opin-
ion will always strongly support demands
for disavowal and reparation in all cases
in which the lives of American citizens
ere taken on the high seas in violation Of
the guarantees Of international law. But
II was tactical error in dealing with
Austria-Hungary in the Ancona case to
drag in or unsuccessful appeal to Ger
rany for disavowal and reparation in an
earlier and far grayer case.
In his note of December 6 last Mr..
lansing xrote 10 the Austro-Hungarlan
Minister of Foreign Affairs: "The Aus
,ro-Hungarian Government has been ad-
viscd through the correspondence which
las passed between the United States and
Germany of the attitude of the Govern
rlent Of the United States as to the use
of submarines in attacking vessels Of
commerce 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
e,prcs ed in no uncertain terms TO the
ely 81 Austria-Hungary, the commander
Of the submarine which attacked the An
coma failed to put in place of safety
the crew and passengers Of the vessel
which they purposed TO destroy. because, it
is presumed, Of the impossibility Of TAX
ing il into port as a prize Of war"
In this paragraph the Secretary Of
state seems to want TO utilize the acqui-
csccncc Of Germany in the attitude OF
The United States as a yardstick with
which 70 measure Aus,ria-Hungary's Of
fc-ding.
But how far has Germany really FAC
qreeced"? She has not disavowed the
action Of the submarine commander who
torpcIood the Lusitania. She has made
40 rcparation whatever for the one hun
dred-cdd American lives lost in the Lusl-
tania Massacre. The Lusitania case Il
atil unsettled. In the Arabic case Ger
many disavowcd the action Of the sub
marine commander because she became
calgirccd that the commander was in
ror ~ thinking that the Arabic was
rc TO attack him. The only point in
ST. p he has "acquicsced" in the atti-
iade a. the United States is in promising
not 10 attack liners without warning and
without g-ovitinC for the safety Of non