Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-12-23
DENIES VIEWS PREaENTED BY U,
8. WARRANT 81 ME FOR
TRAGEDY BEING PLACED
UPON CAPTAIN.
OFFICIAL TEXT Is MADE
PUBLIC AT WASHINGTON
Reply Declares That Blame Can Not
BE Placed on Austro- Hungarian
Government Even II . Most Wig
orous Legal CONSTRUCTION
Were Applied.

washington, Dec. 21.--The text OF
Austria's reply to the American note
on the sinking OF the Italian liner
Ancona, an made public by the state
department. follows:
American Embassy. Vienna.
Secretary of State, Washington:
Following note received from Min
lister or Foreign Affairs:
In reply to the much esteemed note
number 4.167 which His Excelleney,
Mr. Frederick CORTLAND Penfield. am
bassador extraordinary and rlenipo-
Tertiary OF the United States OF Amer
ica, directed to him In the name OF
the American government under date
OF the ninth instant In the matter
OF the sinking OF the italian steamer
Ancona, the undersigned. prelimin-
&ry to thorough. meritorious treat
ment OF the demand, has the honor
10 observe that the sharpness with
which the government OF the United
States considers II necessary to
blame the commanding officer OF the
submarine concerned In the affair and
the firmness In which the demands
addressed TO the Imperial and Royal
government appear TO be expressed.
might well have warranted the ex-
pectation that the government OF the
United States should precisely speci-
~ the actual circumstances OF the af-
fair upon which II bases It's case.
Room for Many Doubts.
Az IL not difficult to perceive, the
presentation OF tho facts in the case
IN the aforesaid note leaves room for
many doubts and even II this presen-
tation were correct In all points and
the most rigorous legal conception
were applied to the judgment OF the
case, Ii does not In any way sufils
ciently warrant attaching blame TO
the commanding officer of the war
vessel or to the Imperial and Royal
government. ...:
The government of the United
States has alao failed To designate
the persons upon whose testimony Il
relies and to whom II apparently be-.
lleves II may attribute higher de.
gree OF credibility than to the COM
mander OF the Imperial and Royal
feet. The note also fails TO give any
number, names, and more precise
f,tte Of the American citizens who
were on board the said steamer at the
critical moment,
Ready TO Exchange Views.
However, In view OF the fact that
the Washington cabinet has now
made positive statement to the eff
feet that citizens OF the United States
OF America came to grief In the In
cident In question, the Imperial and
Royal government la in principle
ready to enter into an exchange OF
views In the affair with the govern.
ment OF the United States.
II must, however In the first place,
raise the question Why that govern,
ment failed to. give judicial reason
for the demands set forth In it's note
with reference to the special cir,
cumatanees of the discriminating
events upon which II itself laya stress
and why In lieu thereof II refused sn
exchange OF correspondence which 1t
has conducted with another govern.
ment In other cases,
Deplores Fate Oh Victims.
In having the hoaor to have recourse
10 the kindness of His Excelleney the
Ambassador OF tho United States OF
America with the most respectful re-
quest to be good enough to communal
cate the foregoing to the American
government and ON this occasion to
state that the Imperial and Royal
government, In no less degree than
the American government and under
Ill circumstances. most sincerely de-.
piores the fate Of the innocent victims
Of the incident In question. the UNI.
dersigned ut the same time avails him
self OF this opportunity to renew the
expression Of his most distinguished
consideration to his excellency. the
ambassador
fEfyunNA pIfGfAN