▁have ▁severe ▁difficulty ▁conqu ering ▁and ▁pac ifying ▁a ▁large ▁English - spe aking ▁population ▁that ▁was ▁both ▁used ▁to ▁self - g overn ment ▁and ▁better ▁supplied ▁with ▁arms ▁than ▁most ▁other ▁civil ian ▁populations . ▁ ▁Other ▁foreign ▁relations ▁were ▁at ▁st ake . ▁The ▁ABC ▁nations ▁organized ▁the ▁Ni ag ara ▁F alls ▁peace ▁conference ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁to ▁avoid ▁a ▁full - scale ▁war ▁between ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁Mexico ▁over ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁occupation ▁of ▁Ver ac ru z . ▁If ▁Mexico ▁were ▁to ▁enter ▁war ▁against ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁it ▁would ▁stra in ▁relations ▁with ▁those ▁nations . ▁ ▁The ▁Car ran za ▁government ▁was ▁recognized ▁de ▁j ure ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁on ▁ 3 1 ▁August ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁as ▁a ▁direct ▁consequence ▁of ▁the ▁Z imm ermann ▁tele gram ▁since ▁recognition ▁was ▁necessary ▁to ▁ensure ▁Mexican ▁neutral ity ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁After ▁the ▁military ▁invasion ▁of ▁Ver ac ru z ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁Mexico ▁did ▁not ▁particip ate ▁in ▁any ▁military ▁exc urs ions ▁with ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁thus ▁ens uring ▁that ▁Mexican ▁neutral ity ▁was ▁the ▁best ▁outcome ▁that ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁could ▁hope ▁for , ▁even ▁if ▁Mexican ▁neutral ity ▁allowed ▁German ▁companies ▁to ▁keep ▁their ▁operations ▁in ▁Mexico ▁open . ▁ ▁British ▁inter ception ▁ ▁Z imm ermann ' s ▁office ▁sent ▁the ▁tele gram ▁to ▁the ▁German ▁emb ass y ▁in ▁the ▁United