THE NORTHWARD EXPANSION 461
should
be put in hand at an early date to provide power not only for the
copper-mining industry, but also to meet the great development in all
economic fields which I am sure will, in the next decade, reward the
inspiring statesmanship which is creating this great new federation in
the heart of Central Africa. Your corporation and its associated
companies arc ready to play their part in this great period of Central
African development. . . .
These
measures still left the problem of transport facilities, as distinct
from fuel supplies, to be dealt with in the future, and, as the sequel
will show, here also the Anglo American Corporation group was to come
to the rescue.
♦ XXI ♦
During
the war years, Ernest Oppenheimer was, naturally, much occupied with
the immediate problems arising out of the necessity for increasing base
metal production in Rhodesia. But two visits which he paid to Southern
and Northern Rhodesia in June and August 1941 gave him the occasion to
reflect, not only upon base metal problems, but on conditions
generally; and his thinking on Rhodesian matters was further stimulated
by conversations which he had in the course of that year with Lord
Harlech. His reactions to the labour situation are discussed below, but
he very soon came to the conclusion that a closer link between
Johannesburg and Rhodesia was necessary. He had discussed the position
with his leading officials and, as he wrote to Harry Oppenheimer as
early as 26 April 1941, they 'made it clear that the relations with
Johannesburg and the assistance they got were not satisfactory ... it
is quite clear to me that we shall have to form a "Rhodesian
department" in the Anglo American Corporation with a sound financial
man and base-metal minded consulting engineer, who will have nothing to
do but look after Rhodesia'. In August he was at N'Kana and there met
the general manager of Broken Hill, who voiced his complaints about
lack of co-ordination and the difficulty of knowing the final
'authority' with whom he had to deal in Johannes-
tion
carried out a great deal of work on this project until March 1955, when
the Federal Prime Minister, Lord Malvern, announced the decision to
proceed with the Kariba scheme in preference to that of the Kafue. The
corporation's appointment will, therefore, lapse and the work done is
being collated for final presentation. In its capacity as consulting
engineers to the Rhodesia Congo Border Power Corporation, Anglo
American Corporation is now engaged on a general examination of the
power position to enable it to advise what steps may be necessary to
meet the power requirements of the Copper-belt until Kariba power
becomes available. . . .'
