The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1915-12-17
j. 5. SENDS HOT
Note To AUSTRIA
COyCF RNiNG SINKING OF ANCO-
Nj BY AUSTRIAN SUB
MARINE.
ARGUMENTATIVE REPLY
Is Expected From That Government
by Wednes-
day.

Department of State, Washington,
ID. c., December 6, 1915.
Secretary of State to Ambassador
..Penfield.
Please deliver a note to the minis
ter of foreign affairs, textually as
follows:
Relia BILE information obtained from
American and other survivors who
were passengers on the steamship
Apcona shows that, on November Z,
a submarine flying the Austro-Hun-
garian flag fired solid shot through
the steamship; that thereupon the
.Ancona attempted to escape but be-
ing overhauled by the sumarine she
stopped; that after a brief period
ana before the crew and passengers
we're 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
gun fire and laundering of the YES
sci a large number Of persons lost
their lives or were seriously injured,
among whom were citizens Of the
United States.
1.-THE public statement Of the Aus
tro-Hungarian Admiralty has been
brought to the attention of the gov
eminent OF the United States and
received careful consideration. This
statemt III substantially confirms The
principal declaration of the survivors.
and /, admits that the Ancona after
being shelled was torpedoed and
sunk while persons were still on
board.
The Austro-Hungarian govern
ment has been advised, through the
correspc ndence 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 a place of safety the
crew and passengers of the vessel
which they purposed to destroy be-
cause, it is presumed OF the impos-
isibility of taking it into port as a
prize of war.
1.-The Government of the United
States considers that the commander
violated the principles of interna-
tional law and humanity by Smelling
and torpedoing the Ancona before
the persons on board had been put in
a place of safety or even given sufli-
cient time to leave the vessel. The
conduct of the commander can only
be characterized as wanton slaughter
OF defenseless noncombatants, since,
. at the time when the vessel was she'll
; ed and torpedoed, she was not, 1t APP
pears, resisting or attempting to es-
cape, and no other reason is sufficient
10 excuse such an attack, not even
the possibility of rescue.
1.-THE Government of the United
States is forced therefore to conclude
either that the commander OF the
submarine acted in violation OF his
instructions or that the Imperial and
Royal Government failed to issue in
structlons 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 lat
ter alternative and to credit the Aus
tro-Hungarian Government with an
intention to permit its submarines to
destroy the lives of helpless men,
women and children. 1t prefers to
believe that the commander OF the
submarine committed this outrage
without authority and contrary to the
general or specific instructions which
he had received.
I" As good relations of the two
countries must rest upon common
regard for law and humanity, the