very
clear-sighted. He had already proposed Sir David Harris as chairman of
De Beers in January 1926. Reviewing the situation at the beginning of
1927, he wrote to Louis on 19 January:
...
It is quite clear that a chairman, both for De Beers and the Premier
must be appointed, and the matter will no doubt be discussed after
Joel's arrival in London. To judge from certain remarks Joel has
dropped since, I would not be surprised if he were so sick of the whole
position (not having enough pluck to assert his and our position as
shareholders), that he would suggest that Lord Bessborough should be
made chairman of De Beers, Sir David Harris deputy chairman, and myself
chairman of the Premier company. This would, of course, flatter
Bessborough enormously; and I have no doubt would be acceptable to
Rothschilds. I cannot imagine anything worse for the De Beers
company than the above appointments. One can only have influence with
the Government if De Beers is looked upon as a South African company,
and that feeling would be entirely destroyed by making a man in London
chairman. It is just at this juncture that De Beers require
Government support, but it is certain that, whichever party is in
power, they will most strongly resent the shifting of the chairmanship
of De Beers to London.
Needless
to say, as I would be distinctly in the running if a chairman for De
Beers were to be appointed in South Africa, I have not expressed these
views to Joel, because he would naturally think that I had some
ulterior motive in objecting, but I wish you would discuss the matter
with him when you meet, without mentioning my name. You know quite well
I would support Sir David Harris as chairman of De Beers, because I
feel convinced that we could work together. Naturally, if I could
eventually be appointed I would be pleased and I am sure that I could
do good work for the company. . . .
To
be frank, he was not always in the future to be so friendly to the idea
of serving under Sir David Harris and, on the personal side of the
problem, he was to discover that he had aroused a disconcerting
jealousy on the part of his own relative, F. Hirschhorn, which can in
part be credited to the latter's long association with Breitmeyer and
Company, one of the firms extruded from the Diamond Syndicate.
Moreover, he was to encounter opposition from another quarter;
important French shareholders did not at all like the idea of De Beers
being 'run' by an important member of the Syndicate. On 6 May 1927
Louis cabled:
Grenfell
[later the first Lord St. Just], Vivian Smith [later the first Lord
Bicester] interviewed Bessborough [deputy chairman of De Beers]
yesterday, who wanted to point out to them why it was difficult to make
you chairman. Rothschilds, he and French interests, while personally
most friendly and
