Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-12-23
WILSON WRITING
NEAR ULT|MATUM

admiralty statement, previously pub
lshed, which admitted tina the sub
marine fired on the Ancona after the
snip had come to q stop ard willis
passengers still We're aboard.
1t was upon this official admission
OF the Austrian admiralty itself that
a principal portion OF the American
note was based.
Won't Change Plans.
|, The gravity of the situation will not,
however, cause President Wilson to
postpone his departure tonight for the
south on his wedding tour.
secretary Lansing sent to the White
House early in the day a memorandum
ouLLnlng ms views as TO what the sec
ond American note should contain. The
president Immediately began worl. on
> drafting the note and will confer with
Secretary Lansing later. The note will
so to Vienna within the next few days
Close study of Austria's reply to the
american demands that there should
be a dlsaVoWal of the act of the sub
marine commander in sinking the An
coma, his punishment. PREPARATION for
American lives lost, and assurances
that he incident would not be re-
peated. did not reduce the gravity with
which officials viewed the situation.
The note will request prompt ac-
queScence in the original demands of
the United States, all OF which, Secre-
tarN Lansing announced, Austria failed
to meet.
1t was said that, while the United
States would not so into a detailed dis
cussion. it might give some of the facts
which Austria requested.
From an authoritative Teutonfc
source came the information that tho
Vienna government had no desire of
being the cause of severing diplomatic
relations between the United states
and Austria. 1t was said that iP the
second note left an avenue for il, the
foreign office probably would see fit
to agree to All the demands made by
the United States.
Baron Zweidinek, charge OF the
Austro-Hungarian embassy. conferred
with Count o Bernstorff, the Ger
man ambassador, today and soon aft
erward had a conference with Score
tary Lansing. The charge was under
stood to have received more instruc-
lions from his government. The ve-
racity of at least one of the Americans
saved from the Ancona, who made an
affidavit, is being attacked.
Secretary Lanslng's memorandum
sent to the president contains excerpts
from ~affidavits and that was taken to
indicate that the new note to Austria
will give some of the facts reuuested
by Vienna.
Tex of Note.
The full text of Austria's reply to
the American note on the sinking Of
the Italian liner Ancona. as made pub
lie today by the state department, fol-
lows:
Fart One.
American Embassy. Vienna, Dec. Is
l915.-secretary of State, Washington.
Following note received from minister for
foreign affairs noon today:
In reply to the much esteemed note
No. 4,l67, which his eXcelleney, Mr.; Fred
eric CORTLAND Penfield, ambassador ex-
traordinary and plenipotentiary of the
United States of America. directed to
him in the name of the American govern
ment under date of the 9th inst. in the
, matter of the sinking of the Italian
steamer Ancona, the undersigned, pre-
liminary to a thorough, meritorious treat
ment of the demand has the honor to
observe that the sharpness with which
the government of the United States con-
siders it necessary to blame the com
cerned in the affair and the firinness in
which the demands addressed to the i'm
perial and royal ,government appear to
be expressed, might we'll have warranted
the expectation that the government of
the United States should precisely specify
the actual circumstances of the affair
upon which it bases its case.
AS is not difficult to perceive, the pres
e~ntation of the facts in the case i'll the
aforesaid note leaves room for many
, doubt and even if this presentation We're
correct in all points and the most riS
orous legal conception We're applied 10
the judgment of the case, it does not. III
any way sufficiently warrant attaching
blame to the commanding officer of the
war vessel, or to the imperial and royal
government.
The government of the United States
has also failed to designate the persons
upon whose testimony it relies and to
whom it apparently believes It may at
tribute a higher degree OF credibility than
to the commander of the imperial and
royal fleet. The note also fails to give
any information whatsoever as to the
number. names and more precise late OF
the American citizens who were on board
of the said steamer at the critical mo-
ment.
Washington cabinet has now made a pos
tive statement to the effect that citizens
of the United States of America came to
grief in the incident in question, the inn
perial and royal government is III prli-
ciple ready to enter into an exchange OF
views in the affair with the government
of the United States.
1t must, however, in the first place.
raise the question why that government
failed to give jur,dicial reasons for the
demands set forth II its note with ref
erence to the special circumstances Of the
discriminating events upon which ltseil
lays stress, ard why In lieu thereof. II
which it has conducted with another gov
eminent in other cases.
Part Two.
The imperial and royal government Is
the less able to follow the Washington
cabinet on this unusual path, since 1T by
no means possesses authentic knowledge
of all of the pertinent correspondence OF
the government Of the United States, nol
is it of the opinion that such knowledge
might be sufficient for it in the present
case. which, in so far as 1T Is informed
is in essential points of another nature
than the case or cases TO which the gov
eminent of the United States seems to al,
Jude. The imperial and royal government
\ NAV therefore leave it to the washington
cabinet to formulate the particular points
of law against which the commanding Of
fcer of the submarine is alleged to have
offended on the occasion of the sinking OF
the Ancona.
The government of the United States has
also seen fit to refer to the attitude which
the Berlin cabinet assumed in the above
mentioned correspondence. The imperia
and royal government finds in the much
esteemed note no indication whatever Of
the intent with which this reference wa:
made. Should however. the government
!, of the United States thereby have intend
ed to express an opinion to the effect tina
a prejudice, of whatever nature, existed
: for the imperial and royal government
: with respect to the juridical consideration
2 Of the affair in question, this government
must, in order to preclude possible mis-