The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-01-04
AUSTRIAN ANSWER MEETS
UNITED STATES DEMAND
CAPITAL SEES DANGER OF BREAK
PASS.
Goes Even Further in Yielding Than
Dual MOnarchy's Ally Did-Other
Questions Not Complex.

reply to the American Ancona note
only meets the cardinal principle of
the American note, but gives assur-
ances for the future which are more
satisfactory than those which were
given by Germany.
The full American official opinion
will not be known until after Presi-
dent Wilson has studied the Austrian
reply, which was received today from
Ambassador Penfeld and was immedi-
ately dispatched to Hot Springs by a
White House messenger.
Il mas be stated authoritatively,
nevertheless, that danger of rupture
of diplomatic relation has passed and
the controversy now enters the same
stage as the Lusitania negotiations
with Germany, and on even a more
favorable basis.
Austria in the Ancona case mas sub
scribed to the principle that no ships
will be sunk unless they offer resist
ance or flee, without the persons
aboard being brought to. safety. This
is considered an assurance that is far
reaching and satisfactory.
The German Concession.
Germany only promised not to at
tack liners" until the persons aboard
had been placed in boats. The extent
of the designation liners" never has
been cleared up and the American
government does not concede that
placing persons in boats necessarily
assures their safety.
Points which Austria leaves for fur
ther diplomatic correspondence are not
considered of nature tc bring on a
new crisis. Chief among them are
questions of fact which affect Aus
tria's responsibility for what happened
before the submarine commander tor
pedoed the Ancona and their import
ance is minimized by the promise to
pay indemnity for Americans lost, re-
gardless of the absence Of proof as to
lust how they met their death.
The mere statement that the sub
marine commander has been punished
for not making allowances for the
ranic on the ship undoubtedly will be
accep1 ed without question and with
cat further inquiry as to its nature.
Arms Give Place to Toga.
One of the features Of the case which
has attracted wide attention in official
and diplomatic quarters is the appar-
ent similarity of the proceeding in the
Ancona case with those in the Lusi-
tania controversy. In both cases OBJ
servers note that the foreign Office
view finally prevailed over those OF the
admiralty, which in each case was hos
tile to the contentious of the United
States.
The sinking of the japanese liner
Yasaka and the French liner Vile de
Ia Ciatat after the second American
note was received in Vienna are &C
counted for here on the theory that the
Austrian admiralty, holding out for it's
submarine policy, had not then issued
new instructions to the submarine
commanders.
Count Gon Dernstor1, the German
ambassador, conferred with Secretary
Lansing today on the Lusitania case
and it was said that while no commu-
uications were passed it was indicated
that the promised settlement is not
far off. The ambassador let it be
known that he considered the Austrian
reply a complete compliance with the
demand of the United States.
To Fix Indemnity.
TIE next step probably will be for
the United States to furnish Vienna
with any further information at its
command regarding the Americans
who were lost as one of the prelimi-
naries to the fixing of an indemnity.
The other diplomatic questions which
are raised are regard broadly as
academic.
No substantial difference was noted
here between the accounts of the tor
pedoing of the Ancona given in the
note and in the admiralty statement
issued soon after the tragedy occurred
The description in the note was more
detailed, and added the statement that
the submarine commander in firing his
torpedo aimed so as to permit the YES
sci to remain afoat as long as possible
after being struck.
There is no difference of opinion
between Vienna and Washington oD
the point that Austria can not be held
resnonsible for lives lost as the result