Omaha daily bee., 1916-01-02
Full Text of Austrian Note
Granting American Demands

great panic reigned aboard and that he
had to deal with passenger steamer,
namely the Ancona, from Genoa There
fore he gave the occupants of the steamer
more time than was required TO leave the
ship in life boats.
AT least ten life boats were still
aboard which would have more than
sufficed for the rescue OF the persons
still aboard. One OF these boats hung,
fun of people, half turned outward on
the davits.
Since. however except for this, no fur
ther move was made to lower the boats.
the commander decided after a lapse OF
forty-five minutes to torpedo the ship 10
such a manner that Il. should remain q
considerable time afoat. in order that
on the one hand the getting Of the people
into the life boats should be FASTENED
and that on the other, adequate oppor-
tunity should remain for rescuing the
persons still aboard.
steamer Approaches.
Shortly thereafter steamer became
visible. which was throwing out heavy
clouds Of smoke and headed toward the
Ancona II likely. had been summoned
by the Ancona's wireless.
Since the submarine commander had
to reckon on an attack by a steamer
which he took for an enemy cruiser he
submerged after having, at 1926 o'clock
In the afternoon, had torpedo fired into
the forward baggage hold of the Ancona
from a distance Of 800 meters. The An
coma listed about ten degrees to starboard
after this shot
"Thereupon an effort was made 10
lower the lifeboat which already was half
turned out on the daVits. II broke loose,
however, and fell into the water The
lifeboat floated keel down farther and
the people held fast to the gunwale,
"Of the other boats none was lowered
into tho water. although persons could
still be observed aboard. The steamer
gradually righted itself to an even keel
and settled so slowly that the submarine
commander at first doubted whether the
steamer would sink. Not until lD
o'clock did II sink, after lengthy paral-
lei settling with the bow first,
Could Have Been saved.
During these further forty-five min
utes all persons yet aboard could have
been saved without difficulty with the
boats still on hand.
From the fact that this, contrary 10
his expectations, was not done. the COM
mander concluded that the crew. con-
trary to all seamen's customs, had ac-
cepted their own rescue with the first
boats and abandoned to themselves the
passengers entrusted to their protection.
''The weather at this time of the In
cident was good and the sea calm. so
that tho lifeboats could have reached
tho nearest coast without danger. as
indeed, the lifeboats actually were dam
aged only by the unskilled lowering, but
not after they had struck the water.
THE loss OF human lives is in the
first instance by no means ascribable to
the sinking of the ship, but in all prob
abilities in a much higher measure, TO
the rapid lowering (Hinunter Werefen) OF
the boats during full speed. as well as to
the fact that the crew concerned only
for Itself did not rescue the passengers
Of the cspsized boats.
AscribabIe 10 shots.
1T is also probably ascribable to shots
which hit the fleeing vessel, but the
death OF persons. who sank with the
steamer Is also. above all. ascribabIe 10
the disloyal conduct Of the crew.
"As appears from the above adduced
state Of affairs. the very esteemed note
OF December . is based in many points
on incorrect premises. Information
reaching the United States government
that solid shot was Immediately fired
toward the steamer Is incorrect; II is
incorrect that the submarine overhauled
the steamer during the chase; II 81 in
correct that only a brief period was
given for getting the people into the
boats.
"on the contrary. an unusually long
period was granted to the Ancona for
getting passengers In the boats.
Finally. It is incorrect that a number
OF shells were still fired at the steamer
after 1t had stopped. n
what Facts show.
The facts OF the case demonstrate
further that the commander OF the sub
marine granted the steamer a full forty
five minutes time. that Is more than
an adequate period. 10 give the persons
aboard an opportunity to take TO the
boats. Then since the people were not
all saved. he carried out the torpedoing
in such a manner that the ship could
remain above water the longest possible
time. doing this with the purpose Of maxi
ing possible the abandonment Of the
vessel in boats stlll in hand.
Since the ship remained a further
foFty-five minutes above water. he would
have accomplished his purpose II the
crew OF the Ancona had not abandoned
the passengers IN a manner contrary 70
duty
with full consideration. however. OF
this conduct OF the commander. aimed
at accomplishing the rescue OF the crew
and passengers. the imperial and royal
marine authorities reached the conclu-
sion that he had omityed 10 take ade-
qustely into consideration the panic that
had broken out among the passengers.