Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-07
oTTUlfwA sEMIWEEKLY COURIER FRIDAY DECEMBER 1917

peQOe0 without warning Dy Sup'
marines flying the Austrian flags, as
in the cases of the British steamers
Secondo and Welsh Prince. Inquiries
made through the American ambassa'
dor at Vienna as to these cases have
SO far elected no information and no
reply.
CLOSED AREA DEFINED.
Again. on January 81, 1917, coin
cidently with the German declara.
ton of submarine danger zones IN wa
tiers washing the coasts OF, the en-
tente countries, the imperial and roy
al government announced to the
United States government that Aus
tria-Hungary and It's allies would from
February / prevent, by every means.
any navigation whatsoever within a
definite closed area
From the foregoing 1t seems far
to conclude that the pledge given il
the Ancona case and confirmed in the
Persia case, is essentially the same
as that given in the note Of the I'M
perial German government dated May
4, 1916, viz:
STAND is UNCERTAIN.
In accordance with the general
principles of visit and search aud de-
struction of merchant vessels recos'
nized by international law, such YES
sells both within and without the area
declared as naval war zone. shall
not be sunk without warning and
without saving human lives, unless
these ships attempt to escape or offer
resistance, and that this pledge has
been modified to a greater or less ex-
tent by the declarations of the i'm
perial and royal government OF Feb
ruary 10, 1916, and January 81, 1917.
In view, therefore, of the uncer-
tainty as to the Interpretation to be
placed upon those declarations and
particularly this later declaration, it
is important that the United States
government may be advised definitely
and clearly of the attitude OF the i'm.
perial and royal government In regard
to the prosecution Of submarine war
fare in these circumstances.
GUARANTEE IS RENEWED.
Please bring this matter orally
to the attention of the Austrian gov
eminent and request to be advised as
to whether the pledge given in the
Ancona and Persia cases is to be in
terpreted as modified or withdrawn
by the declarations of February 10,
1916, and January 81, 1917. If, after
your conversation it seems advisable,
you may hand to the minister Of for
eign affairs a paraphrase of this in.
struction, leaving the quoted texts
verbatim
I'm reply the Austrian government
IN an aide memoire of March 2, 1917,
after reviewing the illegal blockade
measure of the allies, stated that 1t
now, as heretofore, firmly adheres to
the assurances given by it in the An.
coma case.
AUSTRIA EvADEo ANSWER.
"The Austro- Hungarian government
also stated that AustroHungarian
submarines had taken no part in the
sinking of the British steamers Sec
ondo and Welsh Prince, and that the
assurance which it gave the Wash.
ington cabinet In the Ancona case and
renewed in the Persia case, has nei.
Their been withdrawn nor restricted
by it's declaration Of February 10,
1916, and January 81, 1917
1.-THE Austro-H Hungarian note en-
deavors, through a legal argument, to
show consistency between these as.
surances and it's declarations. In
this way the Austria Hungary govern.
ment evades q direct answer to tho
American inquiry, but in its argument
It substantially adheres to the de-
claration Of January 81, 1917. fpr 1t
states that the entire declaration IL
nothing else than q wsrn
ing to the effect that no merchant
ship may navigate the sea zones &C.
curately defined in the declaration
and that the imperial and royal gov
eminent is, however, unable to &C
cept a responsibility for the loss OF
human lives which, nevertheless, may
result from the destruction Of armed
ships or ships encountered in the
closed zones
TARNoWsKi TURNED BACK.
IN view Of this acceptance and
avowal by the Austrian government
Of the policy which had led to a
breach of relations between the Unit
ed States and Germany, the govern
ment Of the United States found 1t i'm
possible to receive Dumba's successor.
Count Tarnowski. The government
felt that it could not receive a new
from a country which
Joined Germany in her submarine
policy, even though its participation
might be by verbal and not physical
This was communicated
to the Austrian government In a
telegram from the department dated
March %, 1917.
"In his message to congress on
April 2, 1917, the president said in re-
spect to the attitude Of Austria-Hun-
gary:
FORMER U. s. STAND.
I have said nothing Of the gov
ernments allied with the imperial
government of Germany, because they
have not made war upon us or chal-
lenged us to defend our right and hon.
or. The Austro- Hungarian govern
ment has, indeed. avowed its unequali-
fed Endorsement and acceptance Of
the reckless and lawless submarine
warfare adopted without disregard by
the imperial German government and
has. therefore, not been possible for
this government tc receive Count
Tarnowski, the ambassador recently
accredited to this government by the