What did most Americans understand before their country entered World War I?

At first, people thought that it would do no good for the United States to enter the war. It was being fought in another continent and it had no effect on them. When Germans began targeting merchant ships in the Atlantic it was a cause of alarm for the Americans. Apart from that, they shared close, cultural bonds with Britain. Then there is the issue of the money they had invested in the Allies. Finally, the sinking of the Lusitania and the interception of the Zimmerman telegram prompted the Americans to join the war.