▁between ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁Mexico . ▁ ▁However , ▁there ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁notable ▁anti - B rit ish ▁sentiment ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁particularly ▁among ▁German - ▁and ▁Irish - Amer icans . ▁Many ▁Americans ▁wished ▁to ▁avoid ▁the ▁conflict ▁in ▁Europe . ▁Since ▁the ▁public ▁had ▁been ▁told ▁f als ely ▁that ▁the ▁tele gram ▁had ▁been ▁st olen ▁in ▁a ▁dec oded ▁form ▁in ▁Mexico , ▁the ▁message ▁was ▁widely ▁believed ▁at ▁first ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁elaborate ▁forg ery ▁perpet r ated ▁by ▁British ▁intelligence . ▁That ▁belief , ▁which ▁was ▁not ▁restricted ▁to ▁pac if ist ▁and ▁pro - G erman ▁lo bb ies , ▁was ▁promoted ▁by ▁German ▁and ▁Mexican ▁diplom ats ▁and ▁by ▁some ▁American ▁newsp apers , ▁especially ▁the ▁H ear st ▁press ▁emp ire . ▁That ▁presented ▁the ▁Wilson ▁administration ▁with ▁a ▁d ile m ma . ▁With ▁the ▁evidence ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁had ▁been ▁provided ▁confident ial ly ▁by ▁the ▁British , ▁Wilson ▁realized ▁the ▁message ▁was ▁genu ine ▁but ▁he ▁could ▁not ▁make ▁the ▁evidence ▁public ▁without ▁comprom ising ▁the ▁British ▁code bre aking ▁operation . ▁ ▁Any ▁doub ts ▁as ▁to ▁the ▁authentic ity ▁of ▁the ▁tele gram ▁were ▁removed ▁by ▁Z imm ermann ▁himself . ▁At ▁a ▁press ▁conference ▁on ▁ 3 ▁March ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁he ▁told ▁an ▁American ▁journalist , ▁" I ▁cannot ▁den y ▁it . ▁It ▁is ▁true ." ▁Then , ▁on ▁ 2 9 ▁March ▁ 1 9 1 7 ,