The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1915-12-16
VIENNA DEMANDED
TO ACT PROMPTLY
NOTE is SENT TO AUSTRIA-HUN
GARY REGARDING SINKING
OF ANCONA.
ILLEGAL AND INDEFENSIBLE
Declares Submarine Commander b;
Wanton Slaughterer and Demands
That He Be Punished.

That He Be Punished.
Washington-Tbe text of the Amer
ing the sinking of the Italian steamship
Ancona, just made public, is as fol-
lows: ..--
The secretary of State to Ambas-
sador Penfeld.
Department of State,
Washington.
Please deliver a note to the Minis
ter of Foreign Affairs, textually as
follows:
Reliable information obtained from
American and other survivors who
were passengers on the steamship An
coma shows that on November a sub
marine flying the Austro-Hungarian
flag fired a solid shot toward the
steamship; that thereupon the Ancona
attempted to escape, but being over
hauled by the submarine she stopped;
that after a brief period and before
the crew and passengers were all able
to take to the boats the submarine
fired number of shells at the vessel
and finally torpedoed and sank her
while there were yet many persons on
board; and that by gunfire and foun-
dering of the vessels a large number
of persons lost their lives or were Sc
riously injured, among them were cit
liens of the United States.
"The public statement of the
Austro-Hungarian admiralty has been
brought to the attention of the gov
eminent of the United States and re-
ceived careful consideration. This
statement substantially confirms the
principal declaration of the survivors
as it admits that the Ancona after be-
ing shelled was torpedoed and sunk
while pesons were still on board.
"The Austro-Hungarian Government
has been advised, through the cor
respondence which has posed be-
tween the United States and Germany
of tn attitude of the government of
the United States as to the use of
submarines in attacking vessels Of
commerce and the acquiescence of
Germany in that attitude, yet with full
knowledge on the part of the Austro-
Hungarian government Of the views of
the government Of the United States
as expressed in no uncertain terms to
the ally of Austria-Hungary the COM
mander of the submarine which at
tackled the Ancona failed to put in a
place of safety the crew and passen-
gers of the vessel which they purport-
ed to destroy, because, it is presum-
ed, of the impossibility of taking it
i,,t0 0f
"The government of the United
States considers that the commander
violated the principles of international
law and of humanity by Smelling and
torpedoing the Ancona before the per-
sons on board had been put in place
of safety or even given sufficient time
to leave the vessel. The conduct Of
the commander can only be charac-
terized as wanton slaughter of de-
fenseless non-co1 .batants 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 possibility
of rescue.
"The government of the United
States is forced, therefore, to conclude
either that the commander of the
submarine acted in violation OF his
instructions or that the Imperial and
Royal Government failed to issue in
structions to the commanders of it's
submarines in accordance with the
law of nations and the principles Of
humanity. The government of the
United States is unwilling to believe
the latter alternative and to credit the
Austro-Hungarian government with
an intention to permit it's submarines
to destroy the lives of helpless men,
women and children. 1t prefers to be-
lieve that the commander of the sub
marine committed this outrage with
out authority and contrary to the gen.
eral or special instructions which he
had received.
"As the good relations of the two
countries must rest upon a common
regard for law and humanity, the
government of the United States can
not be expected to do otherwise than
to demand that the Imperial and
Royal Government denounce the sink
ing Of the Ancona as an illegal and
indefensible act; that the officer who
perpetrated the deed be punished; and
that reparation by the payment of an
indemnity be made for the citizens of
the Unitee States who were killed or
injured by the attack on the vessel.
1.-THE government of the United
States expects that the Austro-Hun-
garian government, approaching the
gravity of the case, will accede to it's
demand promptly; and it rests this
expectation on the belief that the
Austro- Hungarian government will not
sanction or defend an act which is
condemned by the world as inhumane
and barbarious, which is abhorrent to
all civilized nations. and which has