The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1915-12-16
VIENNA DEMANDED
TO ACT PROMPTLY
NOTE Is SENT TO AUsTRiA.HUN-
GARY REGARDING SINKING
OF ANCoNA.
ILLEGAL AND INDISPENSABLE
Declares Submarine Commander @
Wanton sIaughterer and Demands
That He BE Punished

That He BE Punished.
Washlngton.---The text Of the Amer.
ican note to Austria Hungary regard
lng the sinking of the Italian steamship
Ancona, just made public, is as fol-
lows:
The secretary of State to Ambas-
sador Penfield.
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 solid shot toward the
steamship; that thereupon the Ancona.
attempted to escape, but being over
hauled by the submarine she stopped:
that after q brief period and before
the crew and passengers were all able
to take to the boats the submarine
fired number Of shells at tho vessel
and finally torpedoed and sank her
while there were yet many persons on
board; and that by gunfre and foun-
dering Of the vessels large number
OF persons lost their lives or were Sc
rfously injured, among them were cit
izens Of the United States.
"The public statement of the
Austro-Hungarian admiralty has been
brought to the attention Of the gov
ernment Of the United States and re.
ceived careful consideration This
statement substantially confirms the
principal declaration Of the survivors
as 1t 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 possed be,4f
tween the United States and Germ6sS
of tn attitude Of the governpalF" i
the United States as to .tkkysN@I @y
submarines in attackiTA WE, SSeStsss,,e OF
commerce and thes I$els of
Germany iFeaat attn lg1y " With fluff
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
place or 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
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 shelling and
torpedoing the Ancona before the per-
sons on board had been put In q 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-coI~ 3atants 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 its
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.
CAS- the good relations of the two
countries must rest upon 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; /; fand
that reparation 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
garlan government appreciating the
gravity OF the case, will accede to it's
demand promptly; and 1t rests this
expectation on the belief that the