New Britain herald., 1916-01-01
OFFICIAL TEXT OF AUSTRIAN REPLY MEETS U. s. DEMANDS
Assurances in Ancona Note More Satisfactory Than Ger
 many s Disavowal of Lustania Incident Will Pay Indemnity.


 he cardinal points of the American demands but gives assurances for the future which are considered more sat- isfactory in their extent than those which were given by Germany. BThe full American official view will not be known until after President Wilson has studied the Austrian re- ply. which was received yesterday from Ambassador Penf1eld and was immediately dispatched to Hot Springs by a White House messenger.
 Danger of Break Averted.
 It may be said authoritatively, nevertheless, that danger of a rupture ' of diplomatic relations has passed and the controversy now enters the same |stage as the Lusitania negotiations < with Germany, on even more favor able basis.
 Austria in the Ancona case has sub scribed to the principle that no ships would be sunk, unless they offer re- sistance or flee, without persons aboard being brought to safety. This is considered an assurance that is far reaching and satisfactory
 Germany promised only not to tat tack liners" until the persons aboard '1had been placed in boats. The desig- nation liners" has never been cleared up and the American government does not concede that placing persons in boats necessarily assures their safety.
 Few Points Unsettled. \ Points which Austria leaves for fur rther diplomatic correspondence are not considered of a nature to bring on
 
 are questions of fact, which affect Austria's responsibility for what hap pened before H1e submarine com fnander torpedoed the Ancona, and their importance is minimized by the promise to pay indemnity for Ameri- cans lost regardless of the absence of proof as to just how they met their death.
 The mere statement that the sub- marine commander has been punished [ for not making allowances for the panic on the ship undoubtedly will be accepted without question and with out further inquiry as to it's nature.
 Feature of Case.
 One of the features of the case which has attracted wide attention in official and diplomatic quarters is the
 
 n the Ancona case with those in the kusitania controversy. In both cases observers noted that the foreign office view finally prevailed over those of the admiralty, which in each case was hostile to the contentious of the Unit ed States.
 The sinking of the Japanese liner Yasaka Maru and the French liner Vile de la Ciotat after the second American note was received in Vienna are accounted 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
 Text of Reply. Vienna, Jan. 1--The following note. Hated Dec. 2s, in answer to the Amer an governments demands concern g the sinking of the Italian steamer tcona by an Austrian submarine, has len delivered to Frederic c. Pen eld, the American ambassador:
 Tn answer to your very esteemed ote, No. 4307 of the 21st instant, the 5ubscrlber. has the honor to lay the Following most respectfully before His lxceilency, the ambassador of the United States of America Frederic Courtland Penfield:-
 Agrees With American.
 The imperial and royal government agrees thoroughly with the American eabinet that the sacred command Xments of humanity must be observed Nh war. Just as it has hitherto given at no time and to no person occasion to doubt it's respect for these com mandments, in like manner also in the whole course of this war, which Aresents such pictures of confusion of 4oral conceptions has it given numer- ous proofs of Humanitarian senti- ments towards enemies IS we'll as tow kard neutral states, and it was not due p this government that it was, a, short ne ago, not in harmony with the
 tire public opinion in Austria ungary, regarded principally a ques- kn of humanity.
 { The imperial and royal government ' can also sEbstantiately concur in the \principle expressed in the very es- seemed note, that private ships. inso Rar as they do not flee or offer resist ence, may not be destroyed without be persons aboard being brought in to Safety.
 Desires Friendly Relations. "Tfe imperial and royal govern ment is very responsive to the assur- ance that the federal government laws value upon seeing that the good rela- Ations which happily exist between Austria-Hungary and the United Eates of America are maintained It sciprocates this assurance most armly, and is now, as heretofore concerned to render these relations more hearty, so far as lies in it's Ypower.
 "Guided by the same spirit of fTankness, as the government of the union, the imperial and royal govern ment, although it does not fin q in tn ],