The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-11-16
Bitter Protest Cabled to Washington - Reckless
 BOmbardment of Pas senger Vessel Condemned
NATIONALITY OF
 SUBMARINE NOT YET DETERMINED
Washington Government
 Continues Investigations
 With View to Determin- ing Points Under Dispute

Washington November 15-Secretary Lansing personally received today from Macchi Di Celiere, the Italian ambassa- dor. communication addressed by Italy to all neutral nations denouncing as "an unparalleled atrocity" the sinking of tho Italian liner Ancona, with scores of neu- trals and other nonoombatants aboard.
 The statement recites the circumstances of the attack, charging that without even a blank shot of warning from the att taoking 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 submarines 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 describing the at tack.
 Upon receipt of the facts as stated in Vienna the Washington government will consider whether any rights of American
  atty statement which has been seen by officials here in the press is at variance with the Italian version. It declares that the Ancona attempted to escape and only after repeated shelling was brought to a. stop. It is further claimed by Austria that the passengers and crew were given 45 minutes to escape in small boats. and the charge that the submarine fired on | the boats is denied.
 officials were dsinciined to comment, | In view of the contradictory information;
 but the general belief here Is that the 1 entire auestlon of submarine warfare
 and che obligations Of Il submarine eefsa- t mander to see that ncutrals' are in q place of safety before destroying prize | will be taken up by the United States with the Austrian government.
 Solemn DenunciatiOn The protest was In the form of denouncement cabled from Rome, de- claring that without warning or with cut observing any formality accom- panying the right of search, the sub. | marine opened fire upon the unarmed
 passenger liner.' reclSlessly shooting the wireless apparatus and lifeboats, killing and wounding many passen- gers.
 The Announcement has been pre- scented to all neutrals Tn if is stated that many passengers swimming in the seu approached the submarine in hope of rescue, but were driven off with jeers.'
 It concludes as follows:
 "The royal government regards 1t az duty to denounce solemnly to all nations the crcuInstances described above Their sentiments of justice and hlmanltv will cause them without doubt to judge as it deserves the conduct or an enemy which is obviously contrary to the dictates of civilization and the , recognized principles of international 1 law
 l It is not stated thoroughly in the de- nouncement whether the submarine which sank the Ancona was an Aus | trian or German. It was presumed py I officials that the Italian government 1 had not definitely cleared up that | point.
 Ruthless Destruction 'The government of the United states ,s doubtless aware of the particulars re' ported by the press m connecuon Witn | the outrage perpetrated by the enemy upon Italian shipping on November '. ] More than once the destruction of Ital- | ian merchantmen had take place under circumstances which permitted no other 1 explanation than that there was pehihd
 the procedure a ruuhless purpose to use
 brutish force against private property or innocent persons. Noncomba tant passen- gers and crews already have been the vic- | tins of these methods but never has 1 there been an instance of such unparal- 1 eed atroclty as in the case Of the sinking 1 of the Ancona The unarmed liner en route to New York was steainng west ward between the coasts of Sardinia and Tunis, carrying passengers and cargo destined for America.
 Ut was out of the question that tue vessel could have been suspected of car | rving arms or contranand, or uefsons iil 1 the service of any of the beiigerents iu l fact, none Of the circumstances al<ged in other cases in an attempt to justify ac- tions described by their authors as < ne- l cessity of war, or a reprisal, were pres ent in the case of the Ancona. | Disregard for Humanity "There are principles that no state ought to disregard and no private ind- vdual could violate with irnpunity, Re- spect of the lives of persons in no way participants in war is among the fun
 damental rules. of humanity and interna- tional law. This rule imposes upon bellig- erents the strict obligation to do all In 1 their power In every circumstance to pro- l tcct the lives of such passengers. Without any warning whatsoever; i without even d blank shot, without ob-
 serving any of the forrnalities acconl- panying the right of search. the subma- rine encountered by the AncoDa in the aforementioned circumstances. opened fire upon the ularmed passenger liner. ruth lessly smelling not only the wire appara- tus, sides and decks of the ship while | she was at 6 stop. but even the lifeboats ; in which the terrorized passengers Were
 seeSing refuge, Many of the passengers were kil'ed outright or wounded Some
 who approached the submarine in tho ! hope of rescue were driven off with jeers. As result of this nhuman procedure
 more than 90 men, women and children lost their lives.
 1 The royal government regards it as q
 duty to denounce solemnly to all nations
 the circumstances described above Their sentiments of justice and humanity will
 cause them without doubt to judge as 1t deserves the conduct of an enemy which
 is obviously contrary to the dictates of