The Ely miner., 1915-12-17
TEXT OF NOTE ON !.
ANCONA DISASTER
GIVEN TO PUBLIC
USTRIA-HUNGARY is EXPECTED
TO REPLY AT ONCE TO DE-
MANDS MADE BY
UNITED STATES.
T0RPEDOING OF LINER IS
ARRAlGNED AS BARBAROUS
No Attempt Made to Conceal Fact
That Unless Demands Are Quickly
Complied With, Diplomatic Re-
lations Will Be in Grave Dam
ger of Being Severed.

Washington, Dec. 16.-The general
belief about the capital is that Austria
will compromise in the Ancona case,
and make important concessions. Fear
of the influence a break with the Unit
ed States would have on the Balkan
situation is assigned as the moving
factor.
London, Dec. 15.-A dispatch to the
Exchange Telegram company from
Amsterdam says:
reports from Vienna say that the
American note concerning the sinking
of the Italian steamer Ancona has
caused intense anger in the Austrian
government and diplomatic rupture 10
considered probable. The question be.
fore Baron Burian, the Austro-Hunga
rian foreign minister, is only whether
rupture with the United States would
not force Berlin to like step.
Washington, Dec. 14-Austria-H Hun,
gary is expected to reply shortly to
the demands made by the United
States in the note on the sinking of
the Italian steamer Ancona. The note
was delivered in Vienna December 6,
and Washington officialdom considers
the word prompt" used, to mean the
dual monarchy had but a week at
most in which to reply.
Noncompliance is deemed here to
mean immediate severance of diplo.
matte relations.
In official and diplomatic circles the
communication is regarded as being
the most emphatic declaration from
the United States government since
the beginning of the European war.
American Lives Lost.
Reliable information obtained from
American and other survivors who
| were passengers on the steamship An
| coma shows that on Nov. submarine
flying the Austro-Hungarian flag fired
solid shot toward the steamship;
that thereupon the Ancona attempted
to escape; but being overhauled by
the submarine she stopped; that after
brief period and before the crew and
passengers were all able to take to
the boats the submarine fired mum.
Der of shells at the vessel and finally
torpedoed and sank her while there
were yet many persons on board; and
that by gunfire and foundering of the
vessel lcrge number of persons lost
their lives or were seriously injured,
among whom were citizens of the Unit.
ed States.
slaughter of DefenseIess"
"The government Of the United
States considers that the commander
violated the principles of international
law and of humanity by shelling and
torpedoing the Ancona before the per-
sons on board had been put in a place
of safety or even given sufficient time
to leave the vessel. The conduct of
terized as wanton slaughter of defense.
less non-combatants since at the time
when the vessel was shelled and tor
pedoed, she was not, it appears, resist.
ing or attempting to escape; and no
other reason is sufficient to excuse
such an attack, not even the possibil.
ity of rescue.
Austria Must Denounce Act.
"As the good relations of the two
countries must rest upon a common re.
gard for law and humanity, the govern
ment of the United States cannot be
expected to do otherwise than to de.
mand that the imperial and royal gov.
ernment denounce the sinking of the
Ancona as an illegal and indefensible
act, that the officer who perpetrated
the deed be punished; and that repa-
ration by the payment of an indemnity
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-Hunga.
rian government. appreciating the
gravity of the case, will accede to its
demands promptly and it rests this ex.
pectation on the belief that the Aus.
tro-Hungarian government will not
sanction or defend an act which is con-
demned by the world as inhuman and
barbarous, which is abhorrent to all
civilized nations, and which has caused
the death of innocent American citi.
zens." LANSING"