From 1914 to 1917, the nations of Europe were engaged in a conflict later known as World War I. Under the leadership of President Woodrow Wilson and guided by his strategy of isolationism, the United States remained neutral. In January of 1917, British intelligence intercepted and deciphered a secret telegram from German Foreign Minister, Arthur Zimmermann, to German Minister to Mexico, von Eckhardt, which offered United States territory to Mexico in exchange for Mexico's support of the German cause. The British did not disclose the contents of the telegram to President Wilson. Meanwhile, Germany broke its pledge to limit submarine warfare and as a result, anti-German hostilities in the United States grew, ending American diplomatic relations with Germany in February.

On February 24, the British relayed the Zimmermann Telegram to President Wilson and on March 1, the contents of the telegram were published widely by the American press. The public response to Germany's duplicity was powerful and the government concurred. On April 6, 1917, the United States declared war against Germany and its allies, forever abandoning the non-interventionist approach to American foreign policy. Most agree that the Zimmermann Telegram played a crucial role in propelling the United States into World War I.

Investigate the source using the zoom and navigational tools in the Flash player and then answer the questions below.

1			What was the threat to U.S. security in the telegram?
2			One of the central dilemmas regarding the telegram was whether the British should expose the telegram or not. If they did, the Germans would know that their codes had been broken. Why was this such a concern?
3			What would have been the alternative to exposing the telegram?