The weekly soliphone., 1915-12-17

European war. No attempt is made to conceal the fact that un- less the demands are quickly com piled with diplomatic relations be- tween the two countries will be in grave danger of being severed
 The text of the note, which was handed to the Austrian foreign of flee Thursday by Ambassador Pen field, follows:
 ATTACK ON STEAMER
 "The secretary of state Ambassa- dor Penfield.
 Department of State,
 Washington Dec. s, 1915.
 "Please deliver a npte to the minister of foreign affairs, textually as follows:
 Reliable information obtained from Americans and other survi- yors who were passengers on the steamer Ancona show that on Nov I7 submarine flying the Austro- Hungarian flag fired a solid shot toward the steamship; that thereup- on the Ancona attempted to es- cape, but being overhauled by the submarine, she stopped; that after a brief period and before the crew and passengers were all able to take to the boats the submarine fired a number of shells at the ves- sel and finally torpedoed and sunk her while there yet many persons on board; and that by gun fire and laundering of the vessel a large number of persons lost their lives or were seriously injured, among whom were citizens of the United States.
 "The public statement of the Austro-Hungarian admiralty has been brought to the attention of the government of the United States and received careful consid- eration. This statement substan- tially confirms the principal declar- ation of the survivors, as it ad- mits that the Ancona after being shelled was torpedoed and sunk while persons were still on board,
 WAS WANTON SLAUGHTER.
 "The Hungarian govern ment has been advised, through correspondence which has passed between the United States and Germany, of the attitude of the government of the United States as to the use of submarines in attack ing vessels of commerce, and the acquiescence 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 uncertain terms to the ally of Austria-Hungary, the commander of the submarine which attacked the Ancona failed to put in a place of safety the crew and passengers of the vessel which they purposed to destroy because, it is presumed, of the impOssibility of taking it into port as a prize of war.
 "The government of the United States considers that the command CT violated the principles of inter- national law and of humanity by shelling and torpedoing the An coma before the persons on board had been put in a place of safety or even given sufficient time to leave the vessel. The conduct of the commander can only be char defenseless noncombatants since at the time when the vessel was she'll ed and torpedoed, she was not, it appears, resisting or attempting to escape, and no other reason is suf- ficient to excuse such an attack, not even the possibility of rescue.
 "The government of the United States is forced, therefore, to con clude either that the commander of the submarine acted in violation of his instructions or that the i'm perial and royal government failed to issue instructions to the com manders of it's submarines in ac- cordance with the laws of nations and principles of humanity.
 PREPARATION AND DISAVOWAL.
 '"The government of the United States is unwilling to believe the latter alternative and to credit the Austro- Hungarian government with an intention to permit it's subma rines to destroy the lives of help less men, women and children. It prefers to believe that the com mander of the submarine committed DDOCDCDITV r0WEC.