Evening star., 1915-12-17
CABINET CONSIDERS
AUSTR|A'S EvbS|VE
REPLY TO THE us.
Gravity of Situation Caused by
Unacceptable Reioinder Re.
mains Unchanged.
SECRETARY LANSING TO
STUDY NOTE FURTHER
Diplomatic Relations Would Not Be
Severed Until Further
Exchange.
VIENNA REFUSES DEMANDS
Germany's Ally Will Be Plainly
Told That Her Stand Is Un-
satisfactory to This
Country.

Austria S reply to Secretary
Lansings note on the .Ancona.
received during the night. was
laid today before President Will
son and the cabinet and discussed
more than an hour.
The gravity OF the situation
caused by Austrias rejoinder to
the American demands. which is
considered evasive, unsatisiac-
tory and unacceptable, remained
unchanged.
The next step will not be de-
cided upon until some minor
points not clear in the official text
are checked up. The apparent
discrepancies are not important
and may be due to transmission
or translation from the State De-
partHent code, but they will ali
be cleared up before another
move is made.
Mr. Lansing to Study Note.
Secretary Lansing said after the cab
inet meeting that he did not know
when the Official text of the note would
be given out for publication and that
It certainly would not be made public
until he had an opportunity to study
it carefully and at length.
Diplomatic relations. although in dan
ger of being broken off. are not likely
to be discontinued. at least before
there has been another exchange Of
notes with Vienna, and SO the crisis
may be said not to be in its final stage.
Another note setting out why the
United States cannot accept Austria's
reply will go forward before the sit
uation takes on more settled aspect.
Hints at Informal Action.
Meanwhile there is some opportunity
and even hints of informal negotiations
which might smooth out the troubled
situation. The frequent calls of Baron
Zweidinek. the Austrian charge, at the
State Department.. give some color to
discussion along that line. and those
who expect that at the end the diff
ferences will be adjusted count on the
influence of Berlin to counsel Vienna
TO avoiG a break. How much ground
there is for such an expectation is not
disclosed. ~ those who entertain it.
So far as was apparent today. the lit
uation has not affected President viii
sons plans Tor going on his honeymoon
journey after mis- wedding tomorrow
night.
Will Agree on Reply.
Before the President leaves, however.
he will agree with Secretary Lansing
on the outline of reply to Austria's
note, and if there should be any fur
ther change in the situation Mr.. Ian
sing will go to confer with the Presi-
dent at the place where he will spend
his honeymoon. That place. however.
has SO far been kept a secret.
a dispatch from Ambassador Pen
field, evidently delayed in transmission.
was received at the State Department
Just ahead of the note. 1t said the re
ply had been delivered to him by the
Vienna foreign Office Wednesday at
noon and that he had Immediately for
warded it to Washington. The note, as
received here is about 1000 words
long.
Will Not Meet Demands.
1t is understood that the official9text
Of the note practically is Identical with
the unofficial version. as contained in
press dispatches. and the United States
regards it. as entirely unsatisfactory
and unacceptable t
Presents Communication.
Some time after the cabinet meeting
Prince Hohenlohe. one of the embassy
attaches. called on Secretary Lansing
ind presented a communication. Both
he prince and the Secretary's Office
.efused to indicate its nature, but the
of another communication
ent strength to the belief that some
Informal negotiating was being done.
-ondon Press Holds Austrian
Reply ''Evasive," ''InsoIent";;
Rupture Is Considered Likely
LONDON, December II. 1903 am-As
, the case of the American note to
Jenna, the London morning papers show
tile disposition to comment on the An
ma case. A majority Of them carry
N editorials on the subject. Among the
xceptions, however. is the Daily News.
hitch considers that there can be but
ne issue, namely, a rupture of diplomatic
The Daily News says: THE extra
rdinary insolence of the Austrian reply
yelled somewhat by its extremely bad
omposition but Its general tenor is clear.
mi there could scarcely be a more nat