Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-12-22
Will Not Debate Principle
of international Law
Called Violated.
DECLARES CULPABILITY OF
COMMANDER ESTABLISHED
Insists Vienna Must Assume
Responsibility for His Act.
Hopes for Compliance.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22-The Re-
ply Of the United States 10 Austrias
note on the destruction Of the italian
liner Ancona declares that the Official
admission Of the Austrian admiralty
that the liner was torpedoed after
she had stopped and While passengers
still were aboard, alone is sufficient
for the American demand for dis
avowal. reparation and punishment II
the submarine commander.
Secretary Lansing's second natn.
already probably in the hands Of lhs
Austrian foreign minister, and made
pubiic here today. reneuis the de.
mands OF the United states. and sa7z
the details to which Austria re-
ferred in her reply to the first Ansezis
can communication, are IN No 4ar
essential to the discussion. T zEa-
phasizes that continuance Of good re-
lations between the two Countries
depends upon the action OF the Ans.
trian government
The full text of the note, which II
addressed to American Ambassadors
Penfeld. follows:
Aneona Note in Pun.
STATE DEPARTMENT. NASH
INGT0E, Dec. 1s.--You are instructed
to address a note 10 the Ausfra-
Hungarian minister Of foreign AFFAIRS
textually as follows:
The government Of the IJnItefi
States has received the note of vo:sr
excellency relative to the sinking kf
the Ancona, which was Delivered s.
Vienna on December IS. 1915. ara
transmitted to Washington. ard hsF
given the note immediate and oarefns
consideration.
"On November Is, 1915. Baron zvfe-.
dinaks the charge d affaires OF zha i1z,s
nerial and royal government 81
q ashlnsSo q. .fra nsmitted to the Dr.
partment 81 s lie a report OF the Aaz@
tro-H -Hrngarion admiralty with. eszn<H
- the slnaing Of the steamship 4n<
coma, in which il WAS admitted thar
the vessel was torpedoed after her erls
gines had been stopped and when nas-
sengers were stiII on beard. This I'd
mission alone is. in the view of <Ae
government of the United States sufl
llcient to tx upon the comInander Or
the submarine which fired the f1f<-
pedo the responsibility OF having viii.
fully violated the recognized faE 81
nations and entirely disresarded
those humane principles which every
belligerent should observe IN the con
duct OF war at sea In view of these
admitted circum stances the kaFer1s-
ment of the United States feels 5ilA-i
titled in holding that the details 81
the sinking Of the Ancona. the weight
and character of the additional tes-
timony corroboratlng the admiralty
report and the number OF Americans
killed or injured are in no way eSscr,-
tial matters of discussion. The c1lpa
bility OF the commander is IN ant cass
established, and the undiepufad fact
Is that citizens of the United States
were killed. injured or put IN 5eor-
ardy by his unlawful act.
Rules OF Humanity Violated.
'sThe rules of international law and
the principles of humanity which
were thus wilfully violated by the
commander OF the submarine have
been so long and so universally rec
ognized, and are SO manifest from
the standpoint Of right and Justice.
that the government of the United
States does not feel called upon q de-
bate them. and does not understand
that the imperial and royal govern
ment questions or disputes them.
THE government of the United
States, therefore. finds no other
course open to it but to hold the inn
perial and royal government respon-
sible for the act of Its naval enln-
mander. and to renew the def1nlte b1,k
respectful demands made in its COM
munication of the 9Th of Decemnef,
1915-- 1t sincerely hopes that the force
-
enable the imperial and royal E0y-
eminent to perceive the 3nstice Of
those demands, and to comply with
them in the same spirit OF franlknas4
and with the same concern Tor tho
good relations now existing between
the United States and Austrias dnk=
gary which prompted the governme1f
Of the United States to make thesn;
rI.ANSINGs