Evening star., 1916-06-29
U. S. Asks Prompt Apology
and Payment of Indemnityin
Case of Steamer PetroIite.
THIS GOVERNMENTS VIEW
FORWARDED TO AUSTRIA
Ambassador Penfield, at Vienna, In
structed by Secretary Lansing
to Inform Foreign, Office.

United States Ambassador Penheld at
Vienna has been instructed by Secretary
Lansing to inform the Austrian foreign
office that the United States government
regards the attack on the American
, steamer Petrolite by an Austrian SUD-
MARINE December last as "a deliberate
/ insult to the nag Of the United States and
( an invasion of the rights Of American
acitizens" and to request a prompt apology
{ punishment Of the submarine commander
stand payment of indemnity
The text of the Secretary's telegram OF
instructions follows:
evidence obtained from the captain
and members of crew of the steamer
Petrolite and from examination made OF
the vessel under direction of the Navy
Department convince this government
that the Austro-Hungarian government
has obtained an incorrect report of the
attack on the steamer. With particular
reference to the explanation made by the
foreien Office. the following information.
briefly stated. has been obtained from
sworn statements of the captain and
members of crew:
No Signal to Stop.
the steamer as 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 shct was fred did the
cantain 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
fred across the bow of the vessel
he rtaay or
in course directed toward the sub
marine. as alleged in the report on-
tanned by the Austro- Hungarian gov
ernment but the captain at once stop
ned the engines and swung the vessel
broadside to the submarine and at
right angles to the course of the YES
sci in order to show its neutral mark
irgs, which was manifestly the reason
able and proper course to follow, ana
it ceased to make any headway- 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 hags some
distance above the water line. which
IL is positively stated by the ofhcers
and crew were flying before the first
ehot was fired. and were not holsted
after the first shot. as stated by the
submarine commander.
THE submarine comma nder admits
that the steamer stopped her engines
The captain of the Petrolite denies that
the vessel was ever headed toward the
submarine. and the examination of the
steamer made by an American naval
constructor corroborates this state
Inent. because. as he states. the shell
which took effect on the vessel, strik
ing the deckhouse which surrounds the
smokestack, was fired from point As
degrees on the starboard bow. This
was one of the last shots fired and indi-
Gates that the ship was not headed to-
ward the submarine even up to the
time when the submarine ceased firing.
Twelve Shots Fired.
. The captain states that the subma-
rine appeared to be maneuvering as
to direct her shots from ahead of the
steamer. The submarine fired approxi-
mately twelve shots. The majority of
the shots were fired after the ship had
stopped and had swung broadside. and
while as even the commander of the
submarine admits, the steamer was
flying 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. He states that he advised
him that the steamer had been dam
aged but that he not then had an op-
portunity to ascertain the extent of
the damage The seaman who was
struck Dy a fragment OF smell SuS-
tained severe flesh wounds.
IF the ship had intended to ram the
submarine. she would not have stop
ped her engines, and this must have
been evident to the submarine com
nnander. Naval authorities here agreed
that there could have been no danger
of the ship ramming the submarine un-
til II was headed straight for the sub
marine and was under power. and even
then the submarine could have SO
rnaneuvered as to avoid collision. The
Petrolite was two miles away from the
submarine. 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 II had opportunity
or sufficient speed to attack even IL it
had been stesming directly toward the
submarine. The conduct of the sub
marine commander showed lack of
Judgment. self-control or willful intent
amounting to utter disregard of the
rights of neutral.