♦ XIV ♦
Whatever
passions may have been aroused by the events described in the previous
section, no one was more acutely aware that things could not be allowed
to go on as they were than Ernest Oppenheimer himself. In July 1932 he
was in London, dealing with the position of the Congo outside producers
and on the 27th of that month he cabled the results of his negotiations:
Please inform colleagues arranged following with Forminiere:
(1) Forminiere, Beceka will make no delivery for 1932 except ^40,000 saleable goods.
(2) That they will reduce operations considerably and they will make official announcement.
21
Some idea of the difficulties involved may be gathered from the
following cable from Diamond Corporation, London, to Diamond
Corporation, Kimberley, under date of 22 February 1932:
'Have
discussed with Consolidated African Selection Trust question closing
down they are inclined favourably consider. Forminiere in reply similar
inquiry made commuÂnication of which following is precis: Despite your
explanations of arrangements made in conjunction with South African
Government for limitations alluvial, we can state large quantities
these goods arrive on our market, which appear to be outside control,
and it is equally certain that large quantity is outcome of illicit
diamond buying. We must therefore conclude that manner of supervision
is insufficient, because we can only affirm our belief that great part
of these illicit shipments come from alluvial workings including those
of State diggings, and to us the only remedy appears complete shutting
down all such workings as encourage this traffic. Should this be done
our companies would be ready to approach Belgian Government either to
reduce production or close workings altogether.'
