Portal logo
206
SIR ERNEST OPPENHEIMER
He put forward for his brother's comments a scheme for a £3,000,000 company, which might go up to .£8 million, divided between pro­ducers and Syndicate. It was to buy not only outside production in South Africa but also to take over all the Syndicate contracts with Angola, B.C.K., Congo, the African Selection Trust, the Hans Merensky Association, etc. The then existing contracts with the con­ference producers were to run their course and thereafter the new com­pany was to take over the existing stocks and new contracts were to be made by the new company for ten years. The Syndicate was to provide sales facilities and selling organization and was to deal only for the company. The De Beers directorate and the Syndicate were to nominate an equal number of directors; nothing was said as to who was to nominate the chairman. On 20 October Ernest Oppenheimer replied, substantially agreeing. On 23 October these terms were submitted to the London transfer office by Solly Joel.
On the very same day the London directors were cabling Kimberley: 'Is it not possible that De Beers company take place of producers, that is, that participants be 50 per cent Syndicate 50 per cent De Beers?' At the same time, Solly Joel was being put into a difficult position: on the day after the cable just cited had been dispatched, Louis Oppen­heimer and Walter Dunkels were cabling: 'We have definitely told S. B. Joel that no deal will be made unless you are elected chairman and, in view of S. B. Joel's difficulty with Sir David Harris, have good reason to know Sir David Harris is being sounded on subject.' Louis Oppenheimer was doing his best: he cabled on the same day, 'Myself [and] G. Imroth impressed on S. B. Joel immediate action necessary and that he must support you'. Five days later Louis Oppenheimer and Walter Dunkels were cabling: 'S. B. Joel has cabled Sir David Harris. You can look on matter chairman as settled.'
This provoked an outburst. It implied, practically, a veto exercisable by Sir David Harris and inevitably evoked memories of the days when Ernest Oppenheimer had been deprived of his seat on the board of the Jagersfontein Mine. He replied.
For your guidance, in any case, Sir David Harris's attitude towards me ever since I arrived in South Africa such that I would never agree leave myself in his hands. No doubt next suggestion will be fix up company and leave chairmanship over until S. B. Joel arrives. Please prevent suggestion being made as I would refuse unless you and Walter insist on my agreeing.
What made matters worse was that a short time afterwards Solly Joel had swung over to the view that only De Beers and the Syndi-