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THE WAR YEARS AND AFTER
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encourage
or approach them to supply additional gem stones. Once any of the
outside producers had done so, they would be most reluctant to revert
to their former quota. . . . The only solution to the problem is for
the De Beers company to resume mining operations at one of its
properties in Kimberley and to select the mine yielding the greatest
quantity and value of gem diamonds. That mine is Dutoitspan. It will be
necessary to work two shifts per day, on which basis an additional
.£4,000,000 of diamonds will be provided per annum, the greater portion
of which will consist of gem goods.
Viewed
from the angle of the South African producers alone, if the position
is allowed to develop to where there are no stocks, the result would be
calamitous for the industry here, which has estabHshed itself as one of
national importance. Therefore every possible step must be taken at
once to provide additional gem diamonds, and to this end Dutoitspan
Mine should be reopened at the earliest.
This was conclusive: the De Beers minutes of 14 September 1943 sum up the subsequent sequence of events:
It
was reported that, since the last meeting of the board, the question of
the quantity of diamonds available to meet possible demands in view of
the increased sales had been discussed, and the opinion had been
unanimously expressed that the company should restart working one of
its mines. With this end in view, the chairman had written to the
Minister of Mines, informing him that the board proposed to reopen
Dutoitspan Mine as soon as possible and asking him to support the
company's application to the Defence Department to release the
Dutoitspan Native compound from occupation by the Cape Corps.
It
was further reported that Mr. Dickinson had interviewed the Secretary
for Defence in connexion with the relinquishment of Dutoitspan compound
by the Defence Department. The Secretary for Defence had willingly
agreed to the application and had vacated the compound, transferring
the military personnel previously housed therein to Wesselton compound.
The military, however, retained the use of the Dutoitspan compound
hospital.
In the meantime, all arrangements to restart work at Dutoitspan had been made, and the mine had opened on 1 September 1943.
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♦ XIX ♦
By
article 39 of the agreement concluded in December 1942 (the dates on
which the various parties signed ranged between 15 and 28 December) the
life of the Diamond Producers' Association was pro-
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