On January 19, 1917, Germany’s foreign secretary, Arthur Zimmermann, cabled the German minister to Mexico. Zimmermann informed the minister that on February 1, Germany would begin unrestricted submarine warfare. The crux of the telegram, however, involved a proposal for a German-Mexican alliance. In the event of war between Germany and the United States, Germany and Mexico would make war and peace together. Germany would financially assist Mexico and, even more important, aid it in recovering Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. A request was made to Japan, a member of the Allies, to join the Central powers. The British intercepted the cable and relayed it to the United States. Both inside the U.S. government and among the public, the cable was immediately denounced. It also gave momentum to those in the country arguing for entrance into World War I on the side of Britain and France and against Germany.