The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-12-16
j. S. SENDS NOTE
ON AUSTRIAN ACT
Makes Formal Demand For
Denouncement of Ancona At
tack and Punishment of
Submarine Commander.

Washington. d. c., Dec. 1.-THE text
Of the American note to Austria Hun
gary regarding the sinking OF the Ital-
ian steamship Ancona, made public
last night, reveals formal demand by
the United States for prompt denounce-
ment of the illegal and indefensible"
act, for punishment of the submarine
commander and for reparation by the
payment Of indemnity for the killing
and injuring of innocent American
citizens.
The note follows:
The Secretary of State to Ambas-
sador NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of State,
Washington ID. c., Dec. 6, 1915.-Please
deliver a note to the minister 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 z q 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 sumbarine fired
n number OF shells at the vessel and
finally torpedoed and sank here while
there were yet many passengers on
board, and that by gunfire and found
ering of the vessel a large number or
persons lost their lives or were SER
iously injured, among whom were citi-
zens of the United States.
sheIIed and Topedoed.
THE public statement of the Austro-
Hungarian admiralty has been brought
to the attention of the government of
the United States and received careful
consideration. This statement sub
laration of the survivors, as Ii admits
that the Ancona, after being shelled,
was torpedoed and sunk while persons
were still on board. - .#.
THE Austro- Hungarian government
has been advised through the cor
respondence which has passed between
the United States and Germany of the
attitude of the government of the
United States as to the use of subma-
rines in attacking vessels of commerce,
md the acquiescence of Germany in
that attitude, yet with full knowledge
on the part of the Austro- Hungarian
government OF the views of the gov
eminent Of the United States. as ex-
pressed in no uncertain terms to the
ally of Austria Hungary, the comman-
yer uf the submarine which attacked
the Ancona failed to put in a place of
safety the crew and passengers of the
vessel which they purposed to destroy,
because, it is presumed, of the impos-
sibility of taking it into port as prize
of war.
"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 a place
nf fnfU QIIf
to leave the vessel. The conduct of
the commander can only be charac-
terized as wanton slaughter of defense
less noncombatants since, at the time
when the vessel was shelled and tor
pedoed, she was not, ii appears, re-
sisting or attempting to escape. and
no other reason is sufficient to excuse
such an attack, not even the possi-
bility OF rescue.
The United States Demand.
The government of the United
States is forced. therefore. to conclude
either that the commander of the sub
marine acted in violation of his in
structions or that the imperial and
royal government failed to issue in
struction to the commanders of its
submarines in accordance with the law
of nations and the principles OF hui
manlty, The government of the Uni
ted States is unwilling to believe the
latter alternative and to credit the
Austro- Hungarian government with an
intention to permit its submarines to
destroy the lives OF helpless men, won-
en- and children. 1t prefers to believe
that the commander of the submarine
committed this outrage without au-
thority and contrary to the general OF
special instructions which he had re-
ceived.
tAs the good relations of the two
gard for law and humanity, the gov
eminent Of the United States cannot
be expected to do otherwise than to de-
mand that the imperial and royal gov
eminent denounce the sinking OF the
Ancona az an illegal and indefensible
act Slat the officer who perpetrated
the coed be punished, and that repara-
ton by the payment OF an indemnity
be made for the citizens OF the United
States who were killed or injured by
the attack on the vessel
The government of the United
States expects that the Austro- Hun
garian government, approaching the
gravity of the case, will accede to its
demand promptly and Ii rests this ex-
pectation on the belief that the Aus
tro- Hnngarian government will not
sanction or defend an act which is con-
demned by the world as inhumane and
barbarous, which is abhorrent to all
civilized nations and which has caused
the death OF innocent American citi-
Zens. Lansing"
Imitation ivory u ohtafnad from, tha