|
390
SIR ERNEST OPPENHEIMER
interests
did not possess a monopoly of copper production, the world copper
position was undoubtedly at that time dominated by the United States
and the South American output controlled from the United States of
America.
There
were three inevitable consequences of this situation. First, the
'prestige value' attached to the opinions entertained by American
mining engineers and by American metallurgists in the field of copper
mining, smelting and refining was exceedingly high, and the services of
such men were, correspondingly, eagerly sought. Secondly, the prospects
for copper were greatly influenced from moment to moment by the
attitude taken up by American producers, by the manner, in other words,
in which they thought that current difficulties could be overcome.
Thirdly, the financial strength of American interests, on the one hand,
and the accumulated 'know-how' of their experts on the other, led to
the question: how far should American interests be encouraged to take
part in the development of the Northern Rho-desian fields? Was it
possible to get American assistance without running the risk of
American control; how far was it wise to rely upon American expert
advice and place the future, technically, in the hands, neither of
South Africans, Rhodesians nor Englishmen, but of Americans? The
financial consequences were incalculable. These were to be matters of
the gravest import in the developing Rhodesian situation, as the
following pages will show. One single illustration, at this point, will
suffice to show the impact of America. Writing to a co-director as late
as August 1936, Ernest Oppenheimer pointed out, in discussing the then
situation that:
We
acted throughout on the advice of our American friends, because we had
been told and believed that the copper problem—both the producing and
selling ends—was one of which America possessed all the knowledge.
Apart from this consideration, we were induced to follow the American
advice because a large part of the funds required were to be supplied
by America. . . .
Disillusionment followed in the crisis of the thirties; the point, however, is the evident influence of the Americans.
Expert
American opinion was by no means unanimous as to the value of the
Rhodesian copper-fields. A. B. Emery, at the time general
made. The world copper situation in the inter-war years is covered by Alex Skelton, op. at., pp.
363-496: and the copper industry in the United States by Elizabeth S.
May, PP- 537—591. The above-cited figures are taken from this book. The
annual volumes of the (U.S.) publication Mineral Industry are also of great value.
|
||
|
|
||