The Northward Expansion
1924 onwards. The
history of the Rhodesias —more particularly that of Northern
Rhodesia—in the period after World War I parallels the economic
development of the Union at an earlier stage of history—the gradual
growth of a modern organized economy, primarily based on mining, in an
area previously primitive, and, for that reason, poor.
The
pioneer work in Northern Rhodesia had been mainly done by Sir Edmund
Davis and the companies associated with his name. His interests
included the Rhodesia Broken Hill Development Company in Northern
Rhodesia, which was also destined to fall within the ambit of Anglo
American Corporation. Ernest Oppenheimer's personal contacts with
Edmund Davis in diamond matters led to collaboration over new
prospecting companies (to this end the then new concessions policy of
the 'Chartered' company contributed); out of these in the end emerged
the producing mines in the Copperbelt owned by Anglo American
Corporation and Rhodesian Anglo American. Out of the new prospecting
policy finally emerged also the mines owned and administered by
Rhodesian Selection Trust, the creation of Sir A. Chester Beatty. The
relations between the two groups, and the two strong personalities
behind them —partly competitive and partly co-operative—form an
essential part of the history of the Copperbelt. A second vital element
was constituted by the efforts of Ernest Oppenheimer to achieve
co-operation with American interests without incurring the risk — which
was a very real one — of the domination of the Rhodesian field by
powerful American groups.
The
opening up of the Copperbelt inevitably raised the issue of 'African
advancement'. Ernest Oppenheimer's efforts to overcome the doubts
entertained by the white workers are set out, in connexion also with
his general attitude towards economic advancement in the Federation.
Over
the course of the years, Anglo American Corporation and Rhoanglo
interests in the Rhodesias have extended widely: Ernest Oppenheimer's
conviction that there was a moral obligation to aid the development of
the Rhodesias has borne fruit in many directions.
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