▁declared ▁the ▁emb ass y ▁ex on er ated .) ▁ ▁Use ▁On ▁ 1 9 ▁February , ▁Hall ▁showed ▁the ▁tele gram ▁to ▁Edward ▁Bell , ▁secretary ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Emb ass y ▁in ▁Britain . ▁Bell , ▁at ▁first ▁incred ul ous , ▁thought ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁forg ery . ▁Once ▁Bell ▁was ▁convinced ▁the ▁message ▁was ▁genu ine , ▁he ▁became ▁en rag ed . ▁On ▁ 2 0 ▁February , ▁Hall ▁inform ally ▁sent ▁a ▁copy ▁to ▁United ▁States ▁Amb assador ▁Walter ▁H ines ▁Page . ▁On ▁ 2 3 ▁February , ▁Page ▁met ▁with ▁British ▁Foreign ▁Minister ▁Arthur ▁B alf our ▁and ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁cod et ext , ▁the ▁message ▁in ▁German , ▁and ▁the ▁English ▁translation . ▁Page ▁then ▁reported ▁the ▁story ▁to ▁President ▁Wood row ▁Wilson , ▁including ▁details ▁to ▁be ▁verified ▁from ▁te legraph - company ▁files ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Wilson ▁released ▁the ▁text ▁to ▁the ▁media ▁on ▁ 2 8 ▁February ▁ 1 9 1 7 . ▁ ▁American ▁response ▁ ▁Popular ▁sentiment ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁was ▁anti - M ex ican ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁anti - G erman , ▁and ▁in ▁Mexico ▁there ▁was ▁considerable ▁anti - American ▁sentiment . ▁General ▁John ▁J . ▁Pers hing ▁had ▁long ▁been ▁ch asing ▁the ▁revolution ary ▁Pan cho ▁Villa ▁for ▁ra iding ▁into ▁US ▁territory ▁ ▁and ▁carried ▁out ▁several ▁cross - border ▁exped itions . ▁News ▁of ▁the ▁tele gram ▁further ▁infl amed ▁t ensions