After initial outrage and much deliberation, they took Wilson's note as a separate effort, signalling that the United States was on the verge of entering the war against Germany following the "submarine outrages".
Setelah kemarahan awal dan banyak pertimbangan, mereka menganggap catatan Wilson sebagai upaya terpisah yang menandakan bahwa A.S. berada di ambang pintu perang melawan Jerman pasca-"kekejaman kapal selam".