This is a

This is CBS I in the world. I'm John Bachelor with near Langto. His book is The Approaching Storm Roosevelt Wilson Adams and their clash over America's future

Three Voices, all looking to progressivism

in the wave of reform in American government.

But now they deal with the crisis in Europe,

the Zimmerman telegram. the revelation of it pushes

everyone towards we must do something. What was the Zimmerman telegram, Neil?

Well, Zimmerman telegram, Neil? Well, Zimmerman was one of the strangest episodes of this time.

In early 1917, when there's all kinds of decision making being made in Germany, particularly

about the unrestricted submarine warfare, the decision we're going to go forward, someone cooks

up this scheme or kind of resurrects a scheme that will offer,

Germany will offer almost a ladder to Mexico saying, you know, if you guys tie up

American forces on the borders or if war comes with America and Germany and you guys tie up forces on the border, will give

you the chance to reacquire territory that was taken from you during the Mexican War,

parts of, say, Arizona and New Mexico and things like that.

It was a, as I said, a crazy scheme, but the message was sent from Berlin, and the British were

intercepting a lot of cars, a lot of cars, but the Americans did not know.

The British sat on it for a while, but eventually turned it over to the Americans did not know. The British sat on it for a while but eventually

turned it over to the Americans and then the Americans and Wilson were informed of it in

late February. It was a scheme that had no basis in reality because Mexico at this time was

Couldn't was was a was a country that was so unstable

Certainly were no position to wage any kind of successful war with the United States.

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