New Britain herald., 1915-12-13
SINKING OF ANCONA
 WAN7ON SLAUGHTER
American Note to Austria Declares
 Prompt Reply Expected

the American note to Austria Hun gary regarding the sinking of the Jtal-
 ian steamship Ancona, made public | last night reveals a formal demand by
 the United States for prompt de-
 nouncement of the illegal and inde- 1 fensible' act; for punishment Of the
 submarine commander, and for repar-
 ation by the payment of indemnity for the Killing and injuring of innocent American citizens
 These demands follow a statement l informing Austria Hungary that ''the 1 good relatlons of the two countries must rest upon a common regard for law and humanity" The note ar ralgns the smelling and torpedoing of the liner as inhumane," "barbarous," ana "anton slaughter" of help less men, women and children"
 Tn omclal and diplomatic circles the coliiIi Iiiunicatlon Is regarded as being the most emphatic declaration to come rom the united States government 'lnce tne oeglnning of the European war. NO attempt is made to conceal tne !act that' unless the demands arc quickiy compiled with, diplomatic re- iations between the tworcountries will be in grave danger of being severed. Ine text or the note, which was hand ed to the Austrian foreign office Thursday by Ambassador F. c. Pen. field, follows:
 The Note to Austria.
 The secretary of state to Amhassa- dor Penfield.
 .s...:.< Department of State.
 Washington, Dec. 6, 1915
 Please deliver a note to the min ister 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 2, a submarine flying the Austro-Hungar. ian 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 a brief period and before the crew and passengers were all able to take to the boats the submarine fired number of shells at the vessel and finally torpedoed and sank her while there were yet many persons on board, and that by gunfire and foun- dering of the vessel a large numher of persons lost their lives or were seri- OuSly 1nJureQ, mOng whom were c1t izens of the United States.
 ''The public statement of the Aus ro-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 being shelled was torpedoed and sunk while persons were still on board
 ''The Austro- Hungarian government has been advised through the corre- spondence which has passed between the United States and Germany, of tf,e attitude of the government of the United States as to the use of sup- marines in attacking vessels of com merce, and the acquiescence of Ger many in that attitude yet with full 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 commander of the submarine which attacked the Ancona failed to put in a place of safety the crew and pas sengers of the vessel which they pur- posed to destroy because it is pre- stunned of the impossibility of taking it into port as prize of war.
 International Law Violated.
 "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 persons on board had been put in a place of safety or even given suffi- cient time to leave the vessel. The conduct of the commander can only be characterized as wanton slaug!.- ter of defenseless. |. non-combatants since at the time when the vessel was shelled and torpedoed, she was not, it appears resisting or attempting to escape: and no other reason is suffi- cient 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 subm arine acted in violation of his or that the imperial and royal government failed to issue in- structions to the commanders O. It's in accordance with the law of nations and the principles of hu- manity. The government of the Uni ted States is unwilling to believe the latter alternative and to credit the Hungarian government with an intention to permit it's submarines to destroy the lives of helpless men, and children. It prefers to be- |ieve that the commander of the sub- marine committed this outrage with out authority and contrary to the general or special instructions which he had received.
 ''As the good relations of the two countries must rest upon a common regard for law and humanity, the government of the United States can- 1ot be exnected to do otherwise than