The sun., 1917-03-07
BREAK SEEN IN
VlENNA'SREPLY
Dual Monarchy Supports Ger
many in Ruthless U-BOat
Warfare.

WASHINGTON, March 6.-Austria- Hun
bary's note outlining the dual monarchy's
position with respect to unrestricted SUBJ
marine warfare was received by Sec
retary Lansing to-day. 1t is in every
sense unsatisfactory to the United States
and is regarded as amounting to full
Endorsement Of Germany's U-boat war
fare, with no concessions whatever to
this Government
Despite the unfavorable tenor Of the
note and the fiat refusal to entertain
this Governments viewpoint on the vital
issue no announcement Is yet forthcoming
as to what action, II any. tho President
will take. Secretary Lansing said he de-
sired to study the official text before
making 1t public.
The impression among officials here
Is that a break between the United
States and Vienna is certain. but that
this Government will continue to seek
delay by all possible means in order to
limit the scope of the controversy and
get Americans out Of Austria and Tur-
key. No secret Is made of the fact
that the President is willing to so to
great lengths to avoid an immediate
break.
All the vital questions involved are
decided by Vienna in complete accord
with Berlin and against the contentious
OF this Government. Austria announces
| that the German submarine blockade
and her own submarine blockade con-
stitute warning to all American as
well as other ships to keep out OF the
barred zone and that this in itself is a
warning so that the United States can
| not contend that ships henceforth de-
stroyed will have been sunk without
| warning
| The Austro- Hungarian Government.
however. virtually invites the President
to surrender his principles TO practical
considerations by declaring that Aus
| tro-Hungarian submarines solely are
operating in the Adratic and the Medi-
| terranean and that therefore an en-
croachment on American interests is
hardly to be feared from the Austro-
Hungarian war vessels
| Austria next contends that "the prin-
ciple that neutrals in war time also
should enjoy the advantages OF free
dom OF the seas refers only to neutral
vessels, not to neutral persons aboard
enemy vessels"
Vital Contention Brushed Aside.
In this respect the vital contention
, which the President and Secretary Ian
sing have made concerning the sacred
rights OF American non-combatants to
pursue their peaceful occupations on the
| high seas is simply brushed aside by
Vienna. The view of the austrian Gov
ernment is precisely that OF Berlin
namely. that Americans must either
keep off these ships or take the. conse-
quences.
The Austrian Government even goes
SO far as to say that THIS Government
has no legitimate concert in sea opera
tions In the war area, as this Is a mat.
ter concerning only the belligerents.
With reference to the armed mer-
chantmen question the Austrian Govern
ment states fatty that such vessels will
he regarded as pirate ships and will be
sunk without warning on all casions
The American contention that merchant
ships have a right to arm for defence
which was entertained by both Ger
many and Austria until the U-boat
blockade was announced, is now brushed
aside as entirely unjustifiabe
Austria points out that her previous
assurances concerning submarine war
fare made at the time of the Ancons
case did not apply to armed vessels.