The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1916-01-05

ascribable to the disloyal conduct OF
the crew.
Based on Incorrect Premises.
Gas appears from the above ad
duced state of affairs, the very es-
teemed 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: it is incorrect
that the submarine overhauled the
steamer during the chase; it is in
correct that only brief period was
given for getting the people into the
boats.
"On the contrary, an unusually
long period was granted to the An
coma for getting passengers in the
boats.
FINALLY, it is incorrect that a
number of shells were fired at the
steamer after it had stopped.
''The facts of the case demonstrate
further that the commander of the
submarine granted the steamer full
forty-fve minutes times, that is,
more than an adequate period to give
the persons aboard an opportunity to
take the boats. Then, since the peo-
pie were not all saved, he carried
out the torpedoing in such manner
that the ship could remain above
water the longest possible time, do
ing this with the purpose of making
possible the abandonment of the YES
sci on boats still in hand.
Blames Ancona's Crew.
"Since the ship remained a further
forty-five minutes above water, he
would have accomplished his pur-
pose if the crew of the Ancona had
not abandoned the passengers in a
manner contrary to 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 conclusion that he had omitted to
take adequately. into consideration
the panic which had broken out
among the passengers, which render
ed difficult the taking to boats, and
the spirit of the regulation that i'm
perial and royal marine officers shall
fail in giving help to nobody in need,
not even to an enemy.
Therefore, the officer was punish
ed in accordance with the existing
rules for exceeding his instructions.
"The imperial and royal govern
| ment, in the face of this state of af-
fairs, does not hesitate to draw the
corresponding conclusions respecting
the indemnifcation of American citi-
zens affected by the sinking of the
prize, but in this regard it makes the
following statement:
'The investigation into the sinking
of the Ancona could naturally fur
nish no essential point to show IN
how far right to an indemnity is to
be granted American citizens. The
imperial and royal government can
not, indeed, even according to the
view of the Washington cabinet, be
held liable for damages which result
ed from the undoubtedly justified
bombardment of the fleeing ship.
"It should just as little have to
answer for the damages which came
to pass before the torpedoing of the
ship, through faulty lowering of life
boats or capsizing of lowered boats.
t'The imperial and royal govern
ment must assume that the Washing
ton government is in a position and
disposed to give it (the Austro-Hun-
garian government) the required and
certainly not unimportant informa-
ton in this respect.
May Extend Indemnities.
eff, however, because of possible
lack of material proofs the particu-
lar circumstances under which Amer
lean citizens suffered damage should
| not have become known to the union
government, the royal government
| IN consideration for the humanely
deeply regrettable incident, and by a
desire to proclaim once again its
friendly feeling toward the federal
government, would be gladly willing
to disregard this gap in the evidence
and to extend indemnities also to
those damaged whose cause can not
be established.
while the imperial and royal
government may probably consider
the affair of the Ancona as settled
with the foregoing statements, it re-
serves to itself at this time the right
to bring up for discussion at later
period the difficult questions of in
| ternational law connected with sub
marine warfare
"The undersigned has the honor to
request most respectfully that his ex-
cellency, the ambassador of the Unit
ed States of America, will be pleased
to bring the foregoing to the atten-
ton of the federal government and
takes advantage of this opportunity
to renew to his excellency an express
sion of his most especial esteem.
[Signed1 "Burian.'