ANCONA, The. Italian liner, sunk in the Mediterranean on 7 Nov. 1915 by a flying the Austrian flag. Bound from Naples for New York, the Ancona was one day out from Messina when she was torpedoed off the coast of Tunis with over 400 passengers on board and a crew of 172. There were 12 American passengers, of whom nine perished. The submarine fired upon the steamer, which, according to Italian report, hove to almost instantly after the first shot. The firing con tinued while the life-boats were being filled and lowered; before half of those on board could be got off in the boats a torpedo from the submarine struck and sunk the Ancona, sacrificing over 200 lives. The Austrian Ad miralty asserted that the Ancona had attempted to escape and had been struck several times before heaving to; that 45 minutes' grace had been allowed by the submarine for those on board to take to the boats; that the cowardice of the crew and the prevailing panic had hampered the life-saving proceedings, and that the submarine had fired the torpedo after 50 minutes' delay, and then only because another steamer was approaching. It was denied that the lifeboats had been fired on.
An impression at first gained ground that the outrage had been committed by a German submarine masquerading under the Austrian flag, from the close resemblance between the methods of warfare employed, but the Austrian statement made it clear that that government assumed entire responsibility. The American Ambassador in Vienna was instructed to de mand a detailed account of the Ancona affair from the Austro-Hungarian government. No reply being forthcoming for three weeks, a peremptory note, dated 6 December, from the American government was presented at Vienna. Admitting that the Ancona had attempted to escape after the first (solid) shot, the note protested that "the commander violated the principles of international law and of humanity by shelling and torpedoing the Ancona before the persons on board had been put in a place of safety or even given sufficient time to leave the vessel)); that the conduct of the commander could °only be characterized as wanton slaugh ter of defenseless non-combatants, since at the time when the vessel was shelled and torpedoed she was not, it appears, resisting 'or attempting to escape.° The American government was
unwilling "to credit the Austro-Hungarian government with an intention to permit its submarines to destroy the lives of helpless men, women and children. It prefers to be lieve that the commander of the submarine committed this outrage without authority and contrary to the general or special instructions which he had received." The United States government demanded a denouncement of the sinking of the Ancona "as an illegal and inde fensible act; that the officer who perpetrated the deed be punished, and that reparation by the payment of an indemnity be made for the citizens of the United States who were killed or injured by the attack on the vessel." From the Austrian Admiralty reply dated 15 Dec. 1915 it appeared that the commander was in structed to prevent the Ancona from escaping "in all circumstances," and that his conduct "cannot be disapproved." A more lengthy note from the Foreign Minister, Baron Burian, de fended the attitude of his government and sincerely deplored the late of the inno cent victims." The American rep].) (19 Dec. 1915) found "no other course open" bat to hold the Austrian government "responsible for the act of its naval commander and to renew the definite but respectful demands" made in the note of 6 1)(cember. The incident was closed by a note from Baron Burian dated 29 Dec. 1915, in which he reviewed in detail the cir cumstances surrounding the Ancona affair. Every American demand, however, was granted on the ground that the commander of the submarine "had omitted to take adequately into consideration the panic that had broken out among the passengers"; that the officer in question had been punished, and that indemnity would be granted.