friendly
relations were now to aid him in the realization of one of his
cherished ambitions—a seat on the De Beers board, and, if possible, the
attainment of the chairmanship of the company.
He
had intimated his desire to join the Dc Beers board as early as 1915.
In September of that year, the De Beers board, having in vain attempted
to get him to accept 'some gift from the company in recognition of his
valuable services to them and the town during his mayoralty and prior
to that period' wanted to 'offer him a sum of £500 for the services he
has rendered at various times to this company'. On 15 November 1915,
the minutes of De Beers record that:
A
letter was read from Mr. E. Oppenheimer, dated London, 22 October,
saying that the company's offer of a monetary consideration gave him a
great deal of satisfaction, and he appreciates it but does not sec his
way to accept it. On the other hand, as the company evidently desires
to show appreciation in some way, he brings forward a request that he
be appointed, when the opportunity occurs, a director of the company.
Resolved in reply to inform Mr. Oppenheimer that some time ago it was
tacitly agreed not to fill up any vacancies in the directorate during
the war, and further, that when the time arrives to do so the prior
claims of others will have to be first considered.
As
events unfolded themselves in 1926 and subsequent years, the question
of who should occupy the chair of the De Beers company, though always
important, became a matter of more far-reaching significance than could
have been anticipated at the beginning of the year, when the two
brothers started discussing the situation at Dc Beers. The chairman at
the time was P. Ross Frames, who had been on the board of the Premier
(Transvaal) Mine, and had been its managing director for many years,
and who had become chairman of the Dc Beers board as well as the
Premier board in 1923. He owed his original appointment to the De Beers
board largely to the influence of Solly Joel, but there was reason to
suppose that Joel had become dissatisfied with the state of affairs at
De Beers. As early as 1 January 1926, Louis was writing to Ernest
Oppenheimer that 'I shall very shortly ask Solly to move in the
question of the directorship and will let you know as soon as possible.
As I told you before, the principle is definitely agreed and for an
early date. Solly B. Joel wants to see the question of the chairmanship
settled. . . .' But for the moment (whatever private thoughts Ernest
Oppenheimer may have nourished as to the future) the point at issue was
membership of the Dc Beers board, not the attainment of the
chairmanship. At the end of January, Louis was writing, '. . . I had a
further talk re De Beers and all S. B. J. asked
