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156
SIR ERNEST OPPENHEIMER
situation;
he was outside the charmed circle of De Beers, though already a
powerful influence on the producing side. The next ten years were to be
the most difficult the diamond industry had ever experienced, and were
to test his powers to the full, but they were also to see the full
realization of his hopes.
APPENDIX I
(See section X, p. 146, above)
the following memorandum
of protest was written by Louis Oppen-heimer immediately after the
expulsion of Messrs. Dunkclsbuhler and Company and the Anglo American
Corporation from the Diamond Syndicate on 21 January 1925. It bears no
date.
1.
On Wednesday, 14 January Sir E. Oppcnheimcr arrived in London. I
met him and agreed to discuss the question of proposed contracts the
next day.
2.
On Thursday, the Syndicate and he being in possession of
information that the Government had an offer for all South West Africa
diamonds, he strongly urged the Syndicate to make an offer or allow him
to make one. The Syndicate declined.
3.
Late on Thursday Mr. Brcitmeyer, Mr. Imroth, Sir E. Oppenhcimer
and I had a long discussion and it was agreed that Sir E. Oppenheimer
should send a cable to the Minister of Mines urging that it was not
fair to press for immediate offer and asking him to delay action, also
representing that in the interests of all parties it would be best for
the four producers to deal with the Syndicate. This Sir E. Oppenheimer
did and he received reply that the Minister was leaving for Cape Town
and would again cable him.
4.
On Thursday later Sir E. Oppenhcimer received a cable from
Consolidated Mines of South West Africa that unless a satisfactory
offer was received by that night, A. Brink, on behalf of the
Government, would conclude deal with third parties.
5.
On Thursday and Friday Sir E. Oppenheimer urged Syndicate cither
to offer themselves or to allow him to do so and informed the Syndicate
if they did not act, he, on behalf of the Anglo American Corporation
would act, as danger to all concerned was too serious for trifling.
I,
on behalf of A. Dunkelsbuhler and Company, declared that I could not
join in Sir E. Oppenheimer's offer but that I agreed emphatically that
Sir E. Oppenheimer was right.
6.
On Friday the Syndicate definitely declined Union producers'
terms and informed their representatives that they would have no
further instructions for them, thus formally breaking off negotiations.
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