When Zimmermann began to realise that Germany’s threatening propaganda in the United States and Germany’s plots against American property were not succeeding in frightening the United States away from war, he began to look forward to the event of war.  He saw, as most Germans did, that it would be a long time before the United States could get forces to Europe in a sufficient number to have a decisive effect upon the war.  He began to plan with the General Staff and the Navy to league Mexico against America for two purposes.  One, Germany figured that a war with Mexico would keep the United States army and navy busy over here.  Further, Zimmermann often said to callers that if the United States went to war with Mexico it would not be possible for American factories to send so much ammunition and so many supplies to the Allies.

German eyes turned to Mexico.  As soon as President Wilson recognised Carranza as President, Germany followed with a formal recognition.  Zubaran Capmany, who had been Mexican representative in Washington, was sent to Berlin as Carranza’s Minister.  Immediately upon his arrival Zimmermann began negotiations with him.  Reports of the negotiations were sent to Washington.  The State Department was warned that unless the United States solved the “Mexican problem” immediately Germany would prepare to attack us through Mexico.  German reservists were tipped off to be ready to go to Mexico upon a moment’s notice.  Count von Bernstorff and the German Consuls in the United States were instructed, and Bernstorff, who was acting as the general director of German interests in North and South America, was told to inform the German officials in the Latin-American countries.  At the same time German financial interests began to purchase banks, farms and mines in Mexico.

CHAPTER V

THE DOWNFALL OF VON TIRPITZ AND VON FALKENHAYN

After the sinking of the Arabic the German Foreign Office intimated to the United States Government and to the American correspondents that methods of submarine warfare would be altered and that ships would be warned before they were torpedoed.  But when the Navy heard that the Foreign Office was inclined to listen to Mr. Wilson’s protests it made no attempt to conceal its opposition.  Gottlieb von Jagow, the Secretary of State, although he was an intimate friend of the Kaiser and an officer in the German Army, was at heart a pacifist.  Every time an opportunity presented itself he tried to mobilise the peace forces of the world to make peace.  From time to time, the German financiers and propaganda leaders in the United States, as well as influential Germans in the neutral European countries, sent out peace “feelers.”  Von Jagow realised that the sooner peace was made, the better it would be for Germany and the easier it would be for the Foreign Office to defeat the military party at home.  He saw that the more victories the army had and the