The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-12-15
Lansing DenOunCGs
the Ancona Affair.
SHARP NOTE TO VIENNA
Torpedoing Of Vessel ATraigned
as Inhunan and BaTharOuS.
FRIENDLY RELATIONS IN PERIL

the American note to Austria Hun
gary regarding the sinking of the Ital-
ian steamship Ancona was made pub
lie here. 1t reveals a formal demand
nouncement of the illegal and indie
fensible' act; for. punishment Of the
submarine commander, and for repa,
ration by the payment of indemnity
for the killing and injuring of inno-
cent American citizens. The note
follows:
"The Secretary Of State to Ambassa-
dor Penfield:
please deliver note to the minis
ter Of foreign affairs, textually as fol-
lows:
Reliable information obtained rom
American and other survivors who
were passengers on the steamship An
coma shows that on Nov. Z a subma-
rine flying the Austro-Hungarian flag
fired solid shot toward the steam
ship; that thereupon the Ancona at
tempted to escape, but being over
hauled by the submarine she stopped; /;
that after a brief period, andSbefore
the crow and passengers were all able
to take to the boats, the submarine
fired number of shells at the vessel
and finally torpedoed and sank ner
while there were yet many persons
on board, and that by gunfre and
founderingsof the ervessel large num-
berof 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,
ss it admits that the Ancona, after
being shelled. was torpedoed and
sunk while persons were still on
board.
"The government of the United
States considers that the commander
violated the principles of information
al law and of humanity by shelling
and torpedoing the Ancona before the
persons on board had been put in a
place of safety or even given sufficient
time to leave the vessel The conduct
of the commander can only be cnarac
terized as wanton slaughter of de.
fenseless noncombatants, since at the
time when the vessel was shelled and
torpedoed she was not, it appears, re-
sisting or attempting to escape; and
no other reason is sufficient to excuse
such an attack, not even the possibil'
ity of rescue.
Lansing's Demands.
1.-The government of the United
States is forced, therefore, to CON
ciude either that the commander OF
the submarine acted in violation oi
his instructions, or that the imperial
and royai government failed to issue
instructions to the commanders of its
submarines, in accordance with the
law of nations and the principles oi
humanity. The government of the
United States is unwilling to believe
the latter alternative and to credit
the Austro-Hungar government
with an intention to permit its sub
marines to destroy the lives Of help
less men, women and children. II
prefers to believe that the commander
of the submarine committed this out
rage without authority and contrary
to the general or special instructions
which he had received. -
"Ai the good relations of the two
two countries must rest upon a com
mrn regard for law and humanity, the
government of the United States car
not be expected to do Otherwise thar
to demand that the impc- and roya
government denounce the sinking ot
the Ancona as an illegal and indefens
ible act; that the officer who perpe
trated the deed be punished, and thai
reparation by the payment of an in
demnity be made for the citizens Of
the United States who were killed OF
injured by the attack on the vessel.
'The government of the United
States expects that the Austro-H Hun
garian government. appreciating The
gravity of the case, will accede tc
its demand promptly; and rests thii
expectation on the belief that the Aus
tro-Hungarian government will moi
sanction or defend an act which Ii
condemned by the word as inhumar
and barbarous. which is abhorrent tc
all civilized nations, and which has
caused tie death of iAnocent .Ameri
can ci.-zens-
"(signed) LANSING"
The diamond rings at Wilmington ;