The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-12-13

/
were yet many persons on board, and
that, by guntire and laundering OF
the vessel, a large number of persons
| lost their lives or were seriously III
| jured, among whom were citizens oil
| the United States. The public state
ment of the Austro-Hungarian admir-
atty has been brought to the atten,
| tion of the government OF the United
States and received careful consider.
ation This statement substantially
confirms the principal declaration of
the survivors, at it admits that the
Ancona after being shelled was tor
perdoed and sunk while persons were
still on board.
The Austro-Hungarian govern
ment has been advised, through the
correspondence which has passed be-
tween the United States and Ger
many, of the attitude of the govern
ment of the United States as to the
use of submarines in attacking YES
sells of commerce, and the acquies-
cence of Germany 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 un-
certain terms to the ally of Austria
Hungary, The commander of the sub
marine which attacked the Ancona
failed to put in place OF safety the
crew and passengers of the vessel
which they purposed to destroy be-
cause, it is presumed of the impossi-
bility of taking it into port as a prize
of war. The government OF the Unit
ed States considers that the com
mander violated the principles of in
ternational 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
sufficient time to leave the vessel
The conduct of the commander can
only be characterized as wanton
slaughter of defenseless noncomba-
tants, since at the time when the
vessel was shelled and torpedoes she
was not, il appears, resisting or at
tempting to escape, and no other rea.
son is sufficient to excuse such an at.
tack, not even the possibility of res
cue.
The government of the United
States is forced, therefore, to con
olude either that the commander OF
tho e,b,,oo,;,, ,c4ol =, ,,i.io4so. 80
his instructions or that the imperial
aud royal government failed to issue
instructions 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 its sub
marines to destroy the lives of help
less men, women and children 1t
prefers TO believe that the command
er OF the submarine committed this
outrage without authority and con
trary to the general or special instruc
tions which he had received.
AS the good relations OF the two
countries must rest upon common
regard for law and humanity, the gov
ernment Of the United States cannot
be expected to do otherwise than to
demand that the imperial and royal
denounce the sinking of
the Apcona as an illegal and inde-
fensible act; that the officer who per
petrated the deed be punished and
that reparation by the payment of an
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-Hungariau
apprecating the gravity
OF the case will accede to its de
mands promptly, and it rests this ex
pectation on the belief that the Aus
tro-IIungarian government Will not
sanction or defend an act which is
condemned by the world as inhu-
name and barbarous, which is abhor-
rent TO all civilized nations, and
which has caused the death of inno,
cent American citizens.
(Signed) Lansing"