The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-01-01
WILSON TRIUMPHS IN BEHALF
OF ALL NEUTRALS AS VIENNA
MEETS US. ANC0NA DEMANDS
TEXT OF AUSTRIAN NOTE

Following is the text Of Austria-Hun-
gary's reply to the American govern
ment's demands concerning the sink
ing of the italian steamer Ancona, by
an Austrian submarine, as deliver ed
to Frederic c. PenfieId the American
Ambassador:
Vienna, Dec. 29, 1915.
In answer to your very esteemed
note, NO 4,3O7, of the 21st inst, the
subscriber has the honor. TO lay the
/ following most respectfully before his
Excel1ency. the Ambassador Of the
United States of America, Frederic
lCourtland Penf1eld-
The Imperial and Royal Govern
nnent agrees thoroughly with the
Am erfcan cabinet that the sacred
commandments of humanity must be
observed also in war. Just as it has
hitherto given at no time and to no
person occasi on to doubt its respect
il for these commandments, in like man
ner also in the whole course of this
war, which presents such pictures of
Commissions of moral conceptions, has it
given numerous proofs of humane
Itarian, sentiments toward enemies as
well as toward neutral states, and it
was not due to this government that
it was a short time ago not precisely
in harmony with the Washington cab
Iinet on a question which it, (the Aus
tro-Hungarian government), in har-
Imony with the entire public opinion
lin, Austria-Hungary, regarded prlnci-
lpaIly a question of humanity.
The Imperial and Royal government
can also substantially concur in the
lprincipIe, expressed in the very .es-
lteemed note, that private ships, in so
far as they do not fee or offer resist
ance,. may not be destroyed without
the persons aboard being brought into
safety.
The Imperial and Royal government
is very responsive to the assurance
that the Federal government lays
value upon seeing that the good rela-
tons, which happily exist between
Austria-Hungary and the Omitted
states of America, are maintained It
reciprocates this assurance most
| warmly, and is now, as heretofore,
lconcerned to render these relations
more hearty, SO far as lies in its
power4
Guided by the same spirit of frank.
ness as the government of the Union,
1.-THE Imperial and Royal government,
although it does not find in the note,
frequently referred to, the answer to
all the legitimate questions submitted
i by it, is willing to communicate to the
lFederal government the result of the
i Investigation which, in accordance
with existing departmental regula-
TONS was begun Immediately after
the receipt Of the feet report on the
sinking of the tAncOna, and which was
Just recently received
The result Of this investigation may
be summarized as follows.
On Nov. Z, 1915, at n:40 o'clock il
the forenoon, the commander OF the
submarine observed IN latitude SO. 40
north, longitude 1908 east, in foggy
weather, at a. distance roundly 5000
meters and one point to starboard, the
outlines of a large Italian steamer.
He took 1t at first for a transport
steamer and turned about and fred
from his rear gun a warning shot far
from the vessel.
simultaneously he displayed the sig
nal, Leave the ship . The steamer
did not stop, but rather turned aside,
| and sought to escape. The COM
mander at first remained stopped for
some minutes in order to increase the
distance, since he feared that the
steamer had a stern gun and would
fire at the submarine with it.
| When the distance had reached 4, 500
meters, he had. the pursuit taken up
with full power and fired from his
forward gun at a decreasing distance
lis shells. among which he observed
| three hits
During the chase the steamer went
zigzag, and STOPPED only after the
third hit Thereupon the commander
ceased firing
+ During the fight the steamer had
already, while at full speed, let some
boats with persons in them fall which
Immediately capsized- After stop
ping. the steamer began launching
! boats
ters the commander saw that six boats
were filled and rowed hastily away
from the steamer. Another boat was
capsized and foated keep up. The
people held onto the hanging lines and
to the capsized boat
During the further approach of the
submarine the commander saw that a
great panic refgned aboard, and that
he had to deal with a passenger
steamer, namely, the Ancona, from
Genoa Therefore he gave the occu-
pants of the steamer more time than
was required to leave the ship in life
boats.
At least ten nfeboats were still
aboard. which would have more than
suf1ced for the rescue of the persons
still aboard. One of these boats hung
full of people, half turned outward on
the davfts,
Since, however. except for this. ne
boats, the commander decided after
lapse of As minutes to torpedo the
I ship in such manner that it should
remain a considerable time afloat, in
order that, on the one hand, the get
ting of the people into the CIifeboats
SH9utd De AaSEeHeO, ana LnaL, on the
Ilother, adequate opportunity slpepld re-
main for reseuing the persons still
aboard.
Shortly thereafter a steamer be-
came visible which was throwing out
heavy clouds Of smoke, and headed
had been summoned by the Aneena'a
wireless.
Since the submarine commands
had to reckon on an attack by
steamer, which he took for an enemy
cruiser, he submerged after having at
1885 O'Clock in the afternoon, had
torpedo Aired into the forward bag
gage hold of the Ancona from a dis
tance of 500 meters. The Ancona
listed about 10 degrees to starboard