The Invention of the Telegram On January 9th, 1917 a message was sent from Germany to the German minister in Mexico. This message, later to be known as the Zimmermann Telegram was the final piece to a German plot to embroil the United States into a war with Mexico, Japan or both in order to cripple Allied supply lines fueling Allied operations in Europe. The actual telegram was translated to as follows: "We intend to begin on the first of February unrestricted submarine warfare. We shall endeavor in spite of this to keep the united States of America neutral. In the event of this not succeeding, we make Mexico a proposal or alliance on the following basis: make war t