The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-10
AUSTRIA FOLLOW
 MASTERANDB BREAKS. WITH UNITED STATES.
(Continued from Page One)

In recapitulating the whole question
 for Ambassador Penfield's guidance In his discussion of the matter with the | Austrian foreign office the department pointed out that the Austrian note Of
 January s1, declaring almost the same | submarine danger zone as was de- clared by Germany, was received or
 the same day that Count Tarnowski arrived in Washington that it had been explained to Count TarnoWski that this government could not pos sibly receive an ambassador from Aus l tria and at the same time dismiss the German ambassador unless the Austro- Hungarian government should receGe the position taken in the submarine note; that Count Tarnowski had agreed l and suggested the opening of conver- 1 sations in the hope that some solution might be found: that the department ! had thereupon instructed MT. Penhetd to ask the Austro-Hungaran govern
 ment for restatement of it's position l that the Austrian reply, received from 1 Vienna in a telegram dated March 23 l contained the following statements: l "The entire declaration is essentially l nothing less than a notification to the l effect that no merchant ship may navi- 1 gate the sea zone accurately defined
 in the declaration. and that l the imperial and royal government is 1 however, unable to accept respon- l sibility for the possible loss of human | life which may, nevertheless, result 1 from the destruction from armed ships
 encountered in the enclosed zones l Moreover 1t may be remarked that Austro- Hungarian submarines are | operating only in the Adriatic and in | the Mediterranean and that therefore, a prejudicing of American interests hy Austro Hun garian men-of-war IS hardly to be feared; that the ker- | mel of the Austro- Hungarian restate- ment was in those quotations because | the Austro- Hungarian government up- held the principle set forth in its note of January 31 at the same time stat ing that the prejudicing of American interests by Austria Hungary was hardly to be feared;' that the Austrian reply was apparently given out offi- cially in Vienna and thereby assumed a definite character; that in view ot this positive declaration this govern ment could not receive Count Tarnow- ski without exciting still further public opinion already highly aroused; that the delicate position in which the Austro- Hungarian government found itself was fully appreciated, but pub lie opinion in the United States would not approve the reception at this mo- | ment of an Austro- Hungarian ambas- sador in view of the fact that the
 
 clared it's adherence to a method Of warfare prejudicing the vital interests of the United States and which has already caused the death of more than 200 American citizens; that all pos sible consideration had been shown Count Tarnowski since his arrival: and that officials of the department had received him informally and frankly discussed with him on several casions the question of his recep- tion
 PENFIELD INSTRUCTED Ambassador Penfield was instructed to say to the minister of foreign affairs that this government lamented the exist ling condition and hoped that way might be found to eliminate the difficult ties. but that we should be glad to re- ceive any suggestions which the minister 1 of foreign affairs might have concerning the matter if the Austro Hungarian gov ernment considered the situation impos- ] sible of continuance.
 Ambassador Penfield's reply is dated March p. Tn it he informs the depart
 ment that he has endeavored to make the
 minister of foreign affairs understand the difficulties of the situation in Washing ton, which the minister generally admit ted. At the same time the minister said that the Austro Hungarian government was confronted by increasing difficulties. The minister of foreign affairs expressed the hope that his last note, transmitted by the enemy to the department on March ? might make it possible for this govern ment to receive Count Tarnowski. PENFIELD RECALLED "On March 2S the department informed
 Ambassador Penfield that it decided to consult with him on various matters in connection with the present situation, and he was instructed to report in Washing ton, trusting in his absence the affairs of the embassy to MT. Crew in the ca pacity of charge d'affaires ad interim. MT. Penfield was further instructed to say to the Austro- Hungarian minister of for eign affairs that In view of the express acceptance and avowal by the govern ment of Austria-Hungary of a policy which has led to a breach of relations with Germany, the President Is unable to his sincere regret to receive Count Tarnowski as ambassador.
 'Mr. Penfield was asked again to ex- press to the Austro-Hungarian minister of foreign affairs this governments deep regret that the government of Austria
 Hungary should have felt itselr obliged to join Germany in her submarine policy, thus interrupting relations which he had hoped might remain friendly in form as we'll as in fact, and that we appreciated that the adherence was merely verbal and
 not physical cooperation, and to say that the President is not receiving Count TarnoswE was acting without feeling against Austria and merely on principle. MT. Penfield was also directed to offer
 the facilities of his embassy in transmit I ting instructions from the Austro-Hun- i garan government to Count Tarnowski,
 and that if it was desired that Count 1 Tarnowski should return to Vienna this
 government would make all necessary ar
 engagements regarding safe conduct. PENFIELD'S REPLY
 ] ''On April 1, Ambassador Penfield re- l piled to this instruction, informing the department that the minister of foreign
 affairs had that morning visited him that
 if the United States declared war against
 Germany. Austria Hungary would im-
 mediately sever her relations with the l United States.
 1 "The Austrian charge d'affaires called
 at the department Monday morning, April l g, at Ii o'clock, and stated that he had received instructions to the effect that his government had severed relations with i the United States"