▁States ▁for ▁re - trans mission ▁to ▁E ck ard t ▁in ▁Mexico . ▁It ▁has ▁tradition ally ▁been ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁tele gram ▁was ▁sent ▁over ▁three ▁routes : ▁transm itted ▁by ▁radio ▁and ▁also ▁sent ▁over ▁two ▁ ▁trans - At l antic ▁te legraph ▁c ables ▁operated ▁by ▁neutral ▁govern ments ▁( the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁Sweden ) ▁for ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁their ▁diplom atic ▁services , ▁but ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁established ▁that ▁only ▁one ▁method ▁was ▁used . ▁The ▁Germ ans ▁delivered ▁the ▁message ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁emb ass y ▁in ▁Berlin , ▁and ▁it ▁then ▁passed ▁by ▁diplom atic ▁cable ▁first ▁to ▁C open hagen ▁and ▁then ▁to ▁London ▁for ▁on ward ▁transmission ▁over ▁trans at l antic ▁cable ▁to ▁Washington . ▁William ▁Regin ald ▁Hall , ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁Room ▁ 4 0 , ▁spread ▁the ▁mis information ▁about ▁the ▁" three ▁routes " ▁to ▁try ▁to ▁conce al ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁Room ▁ 4 0 ▁was ▁intercept ing ▁its ▁cable ▁traffic . ▁ ▁Direct ▁te legraph ▁transmission ▁of ▁the ▁tele gram ▁was ▁impossible ▁because ▁the ▁British ▁had ▁cut ▁the ▁German ▁international ▁c ables ▁at ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁war . ▁However , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁allowed ▁limited ▁use ▁of ▁its ▁diplom atic ▁c ables ▁with ▁Germany ▁to ▁communicate ▁with ▁its ▁amb assador ▁in ▁Washington . ▁The ▁facility ▁was ▁supposed ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁for ▁c ables ▁connected ▁with ▁President ▁Wood row ▁Wilson ' s ▁peace ▁propos als . ▁ ▁The ▁Swedish ▁cable