“1) Authorization for the German naval forces in the western part of the Atlantic Ocean to operate freely as far as the international customary 3-mile boundary.
“2) The cancellation of the preferential treatment which American merchant vessels have been enjoying so far in our warfare at sea.”
Now, I hand you Document Number 850, that will be Exhibit Number GB-473. Your suggestion, which had been made in April, was turned down by Hitler in June. It is a memorandum from Ritter in the Foreign Office and it reads:
“General Jodl informs me that at the recent report of Grossadmiral Raeder to the Führer, the more far-reaching orders to the naval forces, as they were discussed in connection with the Raeder interview, have been postponed until further notice.
“In the same way, permission to attack United States’ merchant vessels within the framework of the prize law has not been granted.”
Your suggestion was to abandon the policy then existing and attack up to the 3-mile limit. Now, I want you to come to another point...
RAEDER: No, please may I make a statement concerning that? I should like to say something, even if you do not put a question to me. It is not right.
At that time, in March 1941, and on the 1st of April and the following dates in 1941, a whole number of intensifications were introduced by the United States, which I mentioned this morning, from the document which I had before me. Therefore, it was clear that I, on behalf of the Naval Operations Staff, which was supposed to conduct the most effective naval war, urged that also with respect to the United States those steps should be taken which were permissible according to international law, and that we should start slowly. Those steps included:
First: that we should no longer respect that 300-mile limit, but go as far as the 3-mile limit, where according to existing international law, it was possible to attack. That is to say, not against international law, but it was just discontinuing certain favorable conditions which we had granted the United States. And Point 2: The cancellation of the preferential treatment...
SIR DAVID MAXWELL-FYFE: That’s exactly what I suggest to you. There is no dispute between us. I was just establishing that point.