The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-12-31
OFFICER WHO SUNK
AnCONA HAS BEEN
PUNISHED
Austria Comedies Submarine CON-
mander Violated His Instructionst
LATEST NOTE IS CONCILIATORY
Agrees With v. s. View that Mer-
chantmen Should Not Be Sunk
with Loss of Life.

Washington. Dec. 31-The Austrian
reply to the second American note OF
the Ancona states that the command
er of the Austrian submarine has
been punished for not sufficiently tax
ing account of the panic aboard the
Ancona which rendered disembarka
tion more difficult. The reply of the
Austrian government to the second
American note on the sinking of the
steamship Ancona, with the loss of
American lives is forwarded TO Reu-
ter's telegram company from Vienna
by way of Amsterdam.
Fully appreciating the attitude of
the commander, who had in view the
rescue of the passengers and crew. y
says the note, the Austro Hungarian
naval authorities have arrived at the
conclusion that he apparently neglect
ed to take sufficiently into considera-
ton the panic among the passengers,
which rendered Decentralization more
difficult, and the spirit of the regula
tions that Austro-Hungarian naval
officers should refuse assistance to no
one in distress, even an enemy The
officer was therefore punished for vio-
lating the instruction embodied in
the rules in force for such cases.
A dispatch from Washington says
that Austria's reply to the last Ameri-
can note on the destruction of the lin
er Ancona now is being transmitted
to the United States and will prob
ably be before President Wilson and
Secretary Lansing within the next "a
hours. ambassador Penfield cabled
yesterday that the note from the Aus
trian foreign Office had been delivered
to him, that it was about 5000 words
long and that it was being translated
into the diplomatic code for the
cables A summing up of the note
follows:
''Jn reply TO the second American
note the Austro Hungarian govern
ton cabinet that the sacred laws of
should be taken into ac-
count also in war, and emphasizes
that it, in the course of this war. has
given numerous proofs of the most
humane feelings. The Austro-Hun-
garian government, too, can positively
concur in the principle that enemy
private vessels, so far as they do not
fly or offer resistance, shall not be de-
stroyed before the persons on board
are secured
Z The assurance. that the United
States government attaches value to
the maintenance OF the existing good
relations between Austria.Hhngary
and the United States is warmly recip
rocated by the Austro1Hungarian gov.
which now, as heretofore, is
anxious TO render these relations still
more cordial. @}H
The Austro-I1ungarian government
then communicates the results of the
inquiry into the sinking of the An
coma which was recently concluded.
The inquiry showed that the com
mander of the submarine from
great distance in the first instance fir
ed warning shot at the steamer,
sighted at 1140 in the forenoon,
which he at first believed to be
transport steamer, at the same time
giving a signal for the vessel to stop.
AS the steamer failed to stop and
-ried to escape the submarine gave
chase and fired l6 shells at the
steamer, of which three were observ-
ed to hit, The steamer stopped only
after the third hit, whereupon the
ceased firing.
Already during the fight. it is de-
2lared, when at full speed the steam
ar dropped several boats filed with
people, which at once capsized. Al
Ter the steamer stopped, the comm
mander of the submarine observed
hat six boats Wer being fully man
ned and they speedily rowed away
rom the steamer. Approaching near
9r, the commander of the submarine
saw that a great panic prevailed
aboard the steamer and that he had
before him the passenger vessel An
coma on account of which he gave
those aboard more time than neces-
sary to leave the vessel in lifeboats.
At least 10 lifeboats were still aboard,
which would have more than sufticed
% rescue the persons on the vessel,
but as no other preparations were