The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-11-20
PROTEST ON ANCONA SINKING
ITALY TERMS SUMMARIZING OF
VESSEL AS "ACT OF BRITISH
FORCE"
statement Presented Secretary Lans-
ing States That Attack Was With
out Warning, While Scores of Neu-
trails and NOncombatants Were
Aboard.

from Macchi di Cellere, the. Italian
communication ad-
dressed by Italy to all neutral nations
denouncing as an unparalleled
atrocity' the sinking Of the Italian
liner AncOna with scores Of neutrals
and other noncombatants aboard.
The statement recites the circum-
stances of the attack, charging that
without even a blank shot of warn
ing' from the attacking submarine
the vessel was shelled and that the
killing and wounding of passengers
continued after the ship had stopped.
No reference is made to the SUBJ
marines nationality.
AS yet Ambassador Penfield has not
been instructed to call at the Vienna
foreign office for information, but he
probably will be shortly in view of
the issuance Of a statement by the
Austro-Hungarian admiralty describ-
ing the attack. "' q:
Upon receipt Of the facts as stated
in Vienna the Washington govern
ment will consider whether any rights
Of American citizens have been vio-
lated. %-a
The admiralty statement which has
been seen by officials here in the press
is at variance with the Italian version.
1t declares that the Ancona attempted
to. escape and only after repeated
shelling was brought to stop. It
also is claimed by Austria that the
passengers and crew were given as
minutes to escape in small boats, and
the charge that the. submarine fred
on tho boats is denied. ,'gFf
Officials were not inclined to. com
ment in view OF the conflicting In
formation, but the, general belief here
is that the entire question ofssSbge
marine warfare and the obligations
OF submarine commander to see
that neutrals are in a place Of safety
before destroying q prize will be taken
up by the United States with the
Austrian government
The text of the communication fol-
lows
The government of the United
States Is doubtless aware of the par
ticulars reported by the press in con-
nection with the outrage perpetrated
by the enemy upon Italian merchant
men that have taken place under cir
cumstances which permitted no other
explanation than that there was be-
hind the procedure ruthless purpose
to use british force against private
property of innocent persons.
'Noncombatant passengers and
crews already have been the victims
of these methods, but never has there
been an instance Of such unparalleled
atrocity as in the case of the sinking
OF the Ancona. The unarmed liner.
en- route to New York, was steaming
westward between the coast of Sar-
dinia and Tunis, carrying passengers
and cargo destined for America.
1T was out Of the question that
the vessel could have been suspected
of carrying arms or contraband or
persons in the service of any of the
belliEerents. In fact none Of the cir
cumstances alleged in other cases in
an attempt to justify actions described
by their authors as a necessity of war
or as reprisal were present in the
case of the Ancona.
There are principles that no state
ought to disregard and no private in
dividual could violate with impunity.
Respect for the lives Of persons in no
way participants in a war is among
these fundamental rules of humanity
and international law. This rule i'm
poses upon belligerents the strict OBJ
legation to do all in their power In
every circumstance TO protect the
lives of such passengers.
without any warning whatsoever,
without even blank shot, without
observing any Of the formalities ac-
companying the right Of search, the
submarine encountered by the Ancona
in the aforementioned circumstances
opened fire upon the unarmed passen-
ger liner, ruthlessly shclling not only
the wireless apparatus, sides and
decks Of the ship while She was ut
n stop. but even the lifeboats in which
the terrorizcd passengers were seeking
refuge. Many of the passengers were
Killed outright or wounded. Some who
approached the submarine in the hope
OF rescue were driven off with ieers.
AS "A result Of this iDbup,o, nrooo