Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-11-18
Ambassador Penfield at Vienna
Is Instructed by United States
to Obtain Complete Account
of AncOna Disaster.
SOME UNDETERMINED POINTS
Secretary Lansing Takes Action
on Receiving Statement from
Austrian Embassy at Wash
ington Which Repeats That
Liner Tried to Escape.

Washington. Nov 1s-Ambassador
Penf1eld at Vienna was instructed by
cable to-day to ask the Austro- Hungar-
ian foreign office for a statement in de-
tail of the circumstances of the torpe-
doing Of the Italian liner Ancona in the
Mediterranean last week. with n loss
of several American lives.
This action was taken upon the
presentation by the Austrian embassy
here to Secretary Lansing of a COM
munication from the Vienna admiralty
stating that an Austrian submarine sank
time for the passengers and crew to
escape was afforded. Until responsibility
for the action of the submarine, which,
1t has been reported was Of German
nationality, was thus officially assumed.
the American government withheld for
NAL inquiry at Vienna.
Ambassador Penfield was sent what Is
known as an informal instruction to dis
cuss the case orally with officials Of the
Austrian government to obtain details
supplementary to those transmitted by
the embassy The undetermined points
{ on WnlCn the American government now
seeks information are:
Did the submarine fire a warning
shot?
Did the submarine cease firing when
the Ancona came to a stop?
How much time was given passengers
and crew to get into the lifeboats?
What were the activities of the sub
marine while the ship was unloading
| its passengers?
Was a torpedo fired while any of the
! passengers We're aboard?
The fact that the Austrian government
assumes responsibility for the action of
| the submarine disposos, it is believed,
! of the reports that the undersea boat
| flew German flag, but officials are
| anxious to be satisfied on this point as
we'll. 1t is considered possible here that
/ the submarine may have been an Aus
! trian craft with some German officers
and men on board, but until the facts
are definitely established there will he
no inquiry made by Ambassador Gerard
at Berlin. The latter, however, of his
own initiative. will transmit the views
Of the German government should they
be furnished him. Press reports from
Berlin have stated that the German
government dscaimed any connection
with the incident.
A reply to the inquiry to Ambassador
Penfeld probably will not be received
for several days. as cable communication
with Vienna has always been slow. Off
Gals would not predict what the charac-
ter OF representations by the United
States might be should it develop thai
enough time was not given the Ancona's
passengers to escape, as alleged in ltaly'S
official communication presented yoster
day by the Italian ambassador
The statement transmitted by the Aus
trian embassy to-day Is Identical witt
that sent out by wireless Monday through
the Overseas News Agency. 1t says the
Ancona was shelled while trying t.
escape, but that when she stopped 4
minutes was allowed for the passenger:
and crew to get into small boats a tor
pedo being fired only when another shil
appeared in response to summons by
wireless from the Ancona
\ wireless message received from vi
emma states The full report of the
commander of the submarine, which re
Gently sank the Italian liner Ancona il
the Mediterranean. has not been received
sent out Sunday by the Austro-ll unga
rian admiralty was based. showed. ac
cording to authoritative officials that th'
loss of n single life was unnecessary.
1T Is alleged that the crew of tn,
Ancona We're panic stricken from the he
ginning and actually lowered lifeboat
while the ship was moving Ii miles al
hour Those boats naturally were swamp
1I
enough lfeboats to save everybody. Fur
thermorc. the charge that the member
of the crew pre-empted the boats an,
rowed far from the steamer, the captain
of which had been allowed almost 90 min
utes for the safe removal of those aboard
AN Austrian official remarked incident
ally that the same panic stricken conduc
was reported in the case of the Italian
crew OF the Firenze. which was sunk afte
the Ancona,
1T is announced that the government
has in Its possession the original instruc
tons to all Italian shpmasters to at
tempt to ram a submarine or escape. de
pending on the relative positions at tn
time of an attack.
1T Is pointed out in official quarter
here that the commander of the sub
marine which sank the Ancona had n
means OF knowing whether that steame
was Il peaceful outward bound passenge
ship or transport and 1t is declare
that he was even justified In suspectin
her to he a warship. as she Is listed d
the international naval register as a
auxiliary cruiser. with a provisions
armament of II centimeter guns"
In any event" concludes the informan
of the Associated Press at Vienna, 9TH
submarine commander did his duty i
challenging. and when the ship starte
i'm flight he had no alternative but to ope
fire. Whether the submarine would hav
halted the Ancona II it We're known tina
she was passenger ship bound TO
America is an academic question"
Government circles expect that no actio
will be taken by the United States.