New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-16
Statement of Admiralty
Clears the Way for
Quick Answer.
NO BACKDOWN
ON u. S. DEMANDS
Use of Wireless Not Resistance,
Washington Contends-Reply
Expected This Week.
rF,r, N. Tribune Buresu.l

Washington, Dec. 15.-While the
gravity Of the situation between tns
United States and Austria-Hungsry Is
emphasized by the statement OF the
Austrian Admiralty giving unQuslifed
approval 20 the action Of the submarine
commander who sank the Ancona, ON
cials said tonight that they we're not
srrnrised 20 find the Admiralty support
ing its officer.
II was pointed out that the German
Admiralty vigorously defended the tor
pedoing Of the Lusitania, and That the
concessions made by Germany to the
limited States In the matter OF neE
conduct of submarine warfare were 'ne
york Of the Berlin Foreign once.
Officials observed that the statement
reveals that the submarine COMMANDER
snnplemented his first report on the
Abstraction of the Ancona and turned
in his log, thus apparently disposlnS
If renorts that the Vienna govern
ment was handicapped in preparing 81
answer to the American note bV lnap'i-
itv 10 communicate with the command
err. ..l Lo
A reply from Austria is expected De,
for. the end of the week, but no word
had been received tonight 10 lhoiea'e
lust when it would arrive
Holds Austria Was Warned.
II IVA. stated suthoritatively that the
Austrian Embassy was 1urnlsheo WIN
an Official copy OF every note sent !"
Germany concerning submarine war
Al
given of the recent drastic action IS
Therefore held to be unfounded. IL Is
the State DEPARTMENTS custom to send
comics Of all diplomatic correspondence
10 every embassy and legation In
Washington as soon as it Is printed.
The Lusitania correspondence has been
in print at the State Department for
several months.
In making this statement OF fact,
however. the department does not ad-
nit that the Austrian objection is rel
evant The American demands are held
10 be based on international law and,
therefore. whether Austria was kept IN
formed OF the progress Of the Lusltanla
controversy or not, the United states
was justified in sending a peremptory
demand for disavowal and PREPARATION.
Short shrift was also made OF the
charge that the Ancona was technically
attempting resistance at the time she
was torpedoed by using her wireless
TO call for help. The State Department
holds that the use of The wireless can.
not be called resistance 20 capture, and
points 10 the phrase in the note that
heven the possibility Of rescue does
not EXCISE sinking vessel without
providing for the safety of non-comDa-
tants.
The issue, therefore, is held TO be
sharply defined Austria will be heard
no further either on the facts or on the
law. Any answer short of a full COM
pliance with the demands contained in
the American note will be rejected un-
los. President Wilson directs a changs
in the present policy OF the State De-
partment. This attitude by the al
ministration has been made known both
TO the Austrian Charge and the Ger
man Ambassador, with the result that
talk of a compromise, which had been
current in Teutonic circles for several
DAYS, has ceased.
1t is realized in all quarters that the
issue is directly up to Vienna, and that
the choice between a break and con-
tinuance OF friendly relations rests
with the Austrian government alone.
The State Department is understood to
have said its last word, and Teutonic
agents here are turning their effort.
for an amicable adjustment toward the
Austrian capital.