South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-06-29
EXPECTS EARLY
REPLY ON NOTE
United States Demands I'M
mediate Answer Regarding
PetrOIite From Austria.

i'm the case of the Standard OIL
tanker PetrOlite II was said by
state department officials today that
there was little doubt that Austria
now viii accept the version OF the
attack as set forth in the American
reioinder cabled to Ambassador
Penheld yesterday. The evidence
secured by the state department
agents. il was said. will completely
convince the Austrian foreign office
that the reports 60 the admiralty by
the commander OF the submarine
were erroneous.
The United States demands an
apology for the insult TO the flag:
punishment OF the submarine COM
mander and the payment of a suit
able indemnity. Because OF the de-
lay in cable communication with
Vienna a reply is not looked for for
several days.
The text of the rejoinder. which
is in the form OF a memorandum
from Sec'y Lansing 20 Ambassador
Penfeld at Vienna. follows:
Hold Report Incorrect.
Evidence obtained from the cap
tain and members of the crew Of
the steamer Petrolite. and from eX-
animation made OF the vessel under
direction Of the navy department,
convinces this government that the
Austro- Hungarian government has
obtained an incorrect report of the
attack on the steamer. With par
a. - To-. 49,.
made by the foreign Office. the fol-
lowing information. briefly stated,
has been obtained from sworn state
ments of the captain and members
o. crew:
NO shot was fired across the bow
of the steamer as a signal TO stop.
When the first shot was fired the
captain was under the impression
that an explosion had taken place in
the engine room. Not until the
second shot was fired did the cap
tain and crew sight the submarine
which was astern Of the steamer.
and therefore they positively assert
that neither the first nor the second
shot was fired across the bow OF the
vessel
Swing Vessel BrOadside.
The steamer did not swing
around in "A course directed toward
the submarine as alleged i'm the re-
pert obtained by the Austro-Hun-
garian government, but the captain
at once stopped the engines and
swung the vessel broadside 10 the
submarine and az right angles TO
the course of the vessel. in order
to. show its neutral markings. which
was manifestly the reasonable aEO
proper course to follow. and a
ceased TO make any Roadway. On
the steamer was painted its name in
letters approximately six feet long,
and the name of The hailing port,
and. as has previously been made
known to the Austro Hungarian
government. the steamer carried
two large flags, some distance above
the water line, which il is positively
stated by the officers and crew were
flying before the first shot was fired,
and were not hoisted after the first
shot, as stated by the submarine
commander
MY IONdEu
The submarine commander ad-
mits that the steamer stopped her
engines. The captain of the Petro-
lite denies that the vessel was ever
headed toward the submarine. and
the examination of the steamer
made by an American naval con-
structor cOrroborates this statement,
because. as he states. the shell which
took effect on the vessel striking
the deckhouse. which surrounds the
smokestack. was fired from a point
- degrees on the starboard bow.
This was one of the last shots fired
and indicates that ship was not
headed toward the submarine even
up to the time when the sUbma-
rlne ceased firing.
The captain states that the sub
marine appeared 10 be maneuvering
SO as TO direct her shots from ahead
OF the steamer The submarine fired
approximately l. shots. The ma
jcritv OF the shots were fired after
the ship had stopped and had swung
broadside. and while as even the
commander of the submarine adj
AtAilSs Nnr cAtd ilAtl ~ dH ll1 lllE the
American flag The captain of the
steamer denies that he advised the
commander of the submarine that
the damage to the steamer was in
significant lie states that he ad-
vised him that steamer had been
damaged. but that ne ha6 not then
an opportunity 10 ascertain the eX-
tent Of the damage. The seaman
who was struck by a fragment Of
shell sustained severe flesh wounds
No Danger OF Ramming.
IF the ship had intended TO ram
the submarine she would not have
stopped her engines and this must
have been evident 20 the subma-
rine. Naval aGthorities here agree
that there could have been no dan
ger OF the ship ramming the sub
marine until IL was headed straight
for the submarine and was under
power and even then the subma-
rine could have so maneuvered as
10 avoid r.llision. The Petrolite was
two miles away from the subma-
T.ne The engines and funnel OF
the Petrolite were at the stern. and
from the general appearance OF the
ship no experienced naval officer
could have believed that IL had op-