Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-12-10

Also Demands Reparation For Ame1-
can Lives Lost and Assurances ZOE
the Future.

Washington, Dec. l0.--The ntte
the United States has sent to Austr'a-
Hungary on the sinking OF the l1ai-
ion liner Ancona was based. 1t Is
learned, primarily upon the virtual
admission of the Austro- Hungarian
! admiralty in its official statement
that the ship was torpedoed before
all the passengers had been removed
to a place of safety.
1t was also stated that the position
Of the United States, as outlined III
its communication asking reparatlon
for American lives lost, and assuranc-
cs that such acts will not be repeated,
is that no matter whether 4 merch-
antman stops upon the firing OF
warning shot by = warship or after
| 4 pursuit, all the passengers must De
removed before the vessel is sunk.
The text of the note was not made
public, as it had been Indicated II
would be. Officials vi the State De-
partmcnt refused to discuss the COM
munication in any way, declining
even to admit that it had been sent
II was said that the failure to give
out the note for publication was due
to the fact that the State Depart
ment had not beer advised of its ar
rival ut Vienna.
/ Baron Erich Zweideneii, charge OF
! me Austro-Hungarian embassy, CALI
! ed upon Counselor Polk. of the State
Rcpartment late yesterday, remaining
/ with MIN .or nearly An hour. AT the
,eion o. the conference neither
Mr.. Polk nor the charge would reveal
the details Of their discussion.
information concerning the prIncl-
pal factor considered in the framing
of the American note was obtained at
ter !. had been said at the State De-
partment that no reply to the list o.
Inquiries recently submitted to the
Vienna Foreign Office through Am
ibassador Pcnfcld. had been received.
The admission of the Austrian ad-
m;ralty we're contained in IN official
i. statement issued on November "A,
which, after giving the Austrian YER
sion of the chase Of the Ancona. con-
! tinued as follows:
THE submarine allowed torty-hVe
minutes for the passengers and Gre"
to abandon the steamer on boarc2ot
which panic reigned, but only a small
nunber,'of the boats were lowered, and
these were: occupied principally by the
crew3 A: great number: of boats prob
ably sufficient to save all the pas
sengers, remained unoccupied' -
"After a period Of fifty minutes, and
as another steamer was approaehing
the submarine submerged snd torpedo
ed the Ancona, which sunk after ar,
additional forty-fve minutes"
This statement was accepted here
as an unqualified admission that many
of the passengers were still aboard
when the hncona received her death
iblow. ~,
! While the United States thas in
sisted heretofore. that: vessels carry
ing noncombatants be not slnk with
out warning. this is the first case
which, it is said. that has developed
the view. of the government rs to
what time is considered ample for
the purpose of removing passengers
beyond the general statement that al
passengers should be given a place
of safety, as provided in the Declara-
ton OF London.
The position of the United States
ia understood TO be that while 10
specific time can be settled upon which
would be applicable in all cases, that
it is evident sufficient time was not
allowed in this instance. The Ancona
is considered an extreme case; Il be.
ling admitted by all sources of III
formation that a panic 1-G7a5Isd
aboard the ship.