336
SIR ERNEST OPPENHEIMER
Apart
from these verbal discussions, the matter had been raised, among other
things, in the correspondence which had taken place in the early part
of January 1941.
It was again resumed in a letter addressed by Ernest Oppenheimer to the Minister of Mines on 13 May 194.1:
...
A scheme was submitted to the Government some time ago but was not
acceptable. The company is, however, prepared to help both financially
and in granting facilities for making diamonds available to cutters,
but any scheme for expansion must now come from the cutters themselves
or the Government, but I understand you to say that you did not think
it advisable for the Government to take any direct steps in this
connexion, represents the position correctly. . . .
I
want to reiterate that we are most anxious to assist in the expansion
of the cutting industry if any scheme is brought forward by any sound
and responsible cutting establishment in South Africa which is
acceptable to the Government.
Ten
months later the question was still unsettled. Writing to Harry
Oppenheimer on 2 November 1941, just after his meeting with the
Minister of Mines, Ernest Oppenheimer first explained his then personal
reaction:
I
sympathize "with his endeavour to give the apprentices security as far
as the completion of their training is concerned. I remember vividly
the hardship which resulted from the Rosenstrauch Bros.'20 failure some years ago. It is however ridiculous to suggest that the producers should assume this
'The
memorandum I prepared on this subject, while carrying a picture of the
problems that have to be considered and solved,
did—unintentionally—somehow also leave, in certain quarters, the
impression that De Beers aimed at establishing for its own benefit a
big diamond-cutting industry and in this manner increase its volume of
trade. (The latter impression was created by the remark in my memo that
De Beers would supply the diamonds required. . . .)
'I
made it clear that nothing was further from our minds than to become
manufacturers of brilliants; that our sole aim was to assist in
expanding the cutting industry in South Africa, and that we would much
prefer to subsidize an established diamond-cutting establishment, like
Radinsky's, if they were prepared to undertake the training of, say,
300 apprentices.
'The
Minister expressed himself as preferring such an approach to the
problem, and undertook to talk to Radinsky and any colleagues on these
lines. Anyhow, the Government would not be willing to be represented
on a management board as suggested in my memorandum.
'I
have since spoken to Radinsky and my impression is that he would not be
willing to undertake this responsibility—but he would be pleased if the
Minister would give him the opportunity to discuss the position.'
20
Rosenstrauch Bros, were co-contractors with J. Rorbf in the agreement
entered with the Union Government in September 1927, envisaging the
creation of a diamond cutting establishment at Rimberley. (For a
summary of the terms of the agreement, vide 12 Official Year Book of the Union of South Africa, 1929-30, pp. 495-6.)
22
