The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1915-12-29
Lansing DenounCeS
the AnCona Affair.
SHARP NOTE TO Vienna
Torpedoing Of Vessel Arraigned
as Inhunan and BarhaTOuS.
FRIENDLY RELATIONS IN PERIL


the American note to Austria-Hun.
gary regarding the sinking of the ltal'
ian steamship Ancona was made pub.
lie here. 1t reveals formal demand
by the United States for prompt de-
nouncement of the illegal and indie
feasible" act; for punishment of the
submarine commander, and for repa-
ration by the payment of indemnity
for the killing and injuring of limo.
cent American citizens. The note
follows.
THE Secretary of State to Ambassa-
dor Penfield:
Please deliver note to the minis
ter of foreign affairs, textually as fol-
lows:
Reliable information obtained rom
American and other survivors who
were passengers on the steamship An
coma shows that on Nov. a subma-
rine flying the Austro-Hunsarian flag
fired a solid snot toward the steam.
ship; that thereupon the Ancona at
tempted to escape. but being over
hauled by the submarine she stopped;
that after a brief period, and before
the crow and passengers were all able
to take to the boats. the submarine
fired a 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
laundering of the vessel a large num-
Der Of persons lost their lives. or we're
seriously injured, among whom were
citizens of the United States.
The public statement of the Aus
tro-IIungarian admiralty has been
brought to the attention of the gov
ernmcnt of the United States and re-
ceived careful consideration. This
statement substantially confirms the
principal declaration of the survivors,
as it admits that the Ancona. after
being shelled, was torpedoed and
sunk while persons were still on
board
THE government of the United
States considers that the commander
violated the principles of internat!on-
al law and of humanity by Smelling
and torpedoing the Ancona before the
persons on board had been put in
place of safety or even given sufficient
time to leave the vessel The conduct
of the commander can only be cGarar
teriZed as wantOn slaughter of de-
feuseless noncombatants since at the
time when the vessel was shelled and
torpedoed she was not, it appears, re-
sisting or attempting to escape; and
no other reason is sufficient to excuse
such an attack, not even the possibil.
fly of rescue.
Larsing's Demands.
"The government of the United
States is forced, therefore, to con
Guide either that the commander o,
the submarine acted in violation of
his instructions. or that the imperial
and royaI government failed to issue
instruction. 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-IIungarian government
with an intention to permit its sub
marines to destroy the lives of help
less men. women and children. II
prefers to believe that the commander
of the submarine committed this out
rage without authority and contrary
&c the general or special instructions
which he mad received.
"A, the good relations of the two
men regard for law and humanity, the
government of the United States can
not be expected to do ot""-wise than
to demand that the inn and royal
government denounce the sinking OF
the Ancona as an Illegal and indefens-
trated the deed be punished, and that
reparation by the payment of an in
demnity be made FOR the citizens Of
the United States who were killed or
injured by the attack on the vessel.
THE government of tAe United
States expects that the Austro-Hun.
garian government. appreclating the
gravity of the case, will accede to
its demand promptly; and rests this
expectation on the belief that the Aus
tro-Hungarian government will not
sanction or defend an act which is
condemned by the word as inhuman
and barbarous. watch Is abhorrent to
all civilized nations. and whiah has
caused the death of innocent Ameri
can ci.7ens
"(Signed) LANSING"