The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-12-22
AUSTRIA'S ANSWER
FULL TEXT OF REPLY GIVEN
OUT IN WASHINGTON
WILL TAKE NO BLAME

WILL IAkE NU DIANE
Vienna Government Says Boats Com
mander Should Not be Blamed
Wants a More Particular Statement
of Fa,ts-Says it is Free to Act
Regardless of What Berlin Says.
The full text of Austria's reply to
the American note on the sinking OF
the Ancona, as made pubic oy tne
state department, follows:
american Embassy,
sVicnna, Dec. Is, 1915.
secretary of Stc;te. WaShiogton:
= "FolIowing note received from
minister for foreign :.ffairs noon to-
day: ...oa-,as
note No. .4l67, which his sxcellency,
Mr.. Frederick --Courtland Pe1nelo'
ambassador extraordinary ano plenl-
notentiary of the U2ited States Oh
America, directed to him in tae name
of the American government uncer
date of the ninth inst, IN the natter
OF the sinking Of the ltahan haSr
Ancona, the undersigned, p-chmlnart
to a thorough nertoricus treatment
of the demand, has tho honor to oD-
serve that thu sharpness with wnlcn
the government Of the United STATES
considers it necessary toS blame TIE
commanding officer of the submarine
concerned in tie affair and fae hrm,
ness in which the demands addressed
to the imperial and rcya. gcvcrnme1I
appear to be expressed might wen
have warranted the expectation that
the government of the United states
should precisely specify tie actual
circumstances of thu affair upon
which it bases its ccs.
"tAs is not difficult. tc perceive,
the presentation Of the. SIN the
case in the aforesaid note leaves room
for many doubts and even II It's pre-
sentation were correct in all points
and the most rigorous legal co1cep.
zion were applied 20 the Judgment OF
the case, it docs not in any way SUI
fciently warrant attaching t:eme to
tho commanding officer CT taeE we,
vessel or to the Imperial arc roSal
government.
~e The government cf t.e United
States has also failed 20 ds5lgnate
the persons upon whose testimony II
relies and to whom it apparcctly be-
iieyes it may attribute a higher de-
gree of credulity than tc the com.
macder of tho imperial and royal
fleet. The note CLIO fails to give any
information whatsoever o.; to the
number and mines and mere precise
fate of the American citizens VINO
were on board of the said 5teamer at
the critical moment.
= "sHowever, in view Of the fact that
the Washington cabinet has now
made a positive statement to the er-
feet that citizens of the United States
Of America came to grief in the incl
dentin question, the imperial ana
royel government is in principle reaoy
to enter into an exchange Of views IN
the affair with the government OF the
United States.
a.It must, however, in the first
place, raise the question WY thst
government failed to give Jur1olcal
reasons for the demands set forth IN
] its note with reference to the spec1aI
circumstances of the discriminating
events upon which it itself l'ys stress,
and why in lieu thereof It referred 10
an exchange of correspc cndence which
it has conducted with another gov
ernment in other cases.
"sThe imperial and royal govern
ment is the less able to follow the
washington cabinet on this unusual
path, since it by no means possesses
authentic knowledge Of ali tie per-
tinent correspondence CT the govern
ment of the United Stctes, nor is 1t OF
the opinion tat such knowledge
might be sufficient for il il the pres
ent case, which, insofar as it is In
formed, is in essential points OF an
other nature than the case CT cases
to which the government Of tie Unit
ed States seems to ollude.
ss'Ths imperial. and royal govern
ment may therefore leaye it to the
washington cabinet to formulate the
particular points of7law agala.t Wnlcn
the commanding officer of the sub
marine is alleged to have offended on
the occasion Of the sinking OF the
Ancona. The government OF tae Unit
ed States has also seen ft TO refer to
the attitude which the Berlin cabinet
assumed in the above mentioned cor
respondence. The imperial. and royal
government finds in the much esteem
ed note no indication whatever of the
intent with which this reference was
made. Should, however, the govern
ment Of the United States thereby
have intended to express an opinion
to the effect that a prejudice of what
ever nature existed for the Imperial
and. royal government with respect to
judilical consideration of the affair
in question this government must in
( order to preclude possible misunder-
standings, declare that as matter
of course it reserves to itself full
freedom of maintaining its own legal
yiews>in the discussion of the case OF
the AEcona.
".In having the honor to have re
course to the kindness Of his excel.
lency the ambassador CT the United
States of America with the most re
spectful request to be good enough tc
communicate the foregoing to the
American govecnm ent and on this oc.
casion to state that the imperial anc
royal government in no less degree
than the American government anc
under all circumstances must sincere
" deplore the fate Of tho ianocen
victims of the incident in question
the undersigned at the same time
aYails himself on this opportunity tt
renew the expressions Of his most dis
tinguished consideration to his excel
lepcy, the ambassador.
TS;snedl "tBurian.'"