burg.
Reporting this conversation to Harry Oppenheimer on 22 August 1941,
Ernest Oppenheimer said, 'I offered to solve this question by asking
London to make me "managing" director [of Broken Hill] during the
construction period. This was received with acclamation. Our Rhodesian
organization wants overhauling ever so badly but I am more hopeful of
success. . . .'
Meanwhile,
just before leaving for Northern Rhodesia, he had met Lord Harlech in
Pretoria. They had a general talk about the possibility of an
'amalgamation' of the Rhodesias and Nyasaland, and, as Ernest
Oppenheimer wrote on 17 August,
I
gave him my views, explaining that I had always been in favour of this
amalgamation, but that the matter should not be rushed now, because a
new solution of the Central African territory might emerge from any
peace negotiations. I referred him to the fact that part of Northern
Rhodesia and even Angola belonged to the Congo Basin and came under
special treaty obligations. ... I am satisfied that the fusion of the
three territories will come about. This will affect our business
outlook. It may be wise for Anglo American Corporation to have an
office in Salisbury, the seat of the Government. I shall revert to
this question after my return from Rhodesia. You see, if England agrees
to amalgamation, it will also agree (probably encourage, so as to
increase population and enterprise in the new Dominion) to the transfer
of purely Rhodesian companies, like Rhoanglo, Rhokana, etc., to the
Dominion. The new Dominion Cabinet will certainly support this view. .
. .
He wrote again on 28 August:
...
It seems quite clear that the amalgamation of the two Rhodesias and
Nyasaland will come about after hostilities cease. When this happens
Anglo American Corporation should have an office in Salisbury, so as to
be in touch with the Government. I even think that the Rhodesian Anglo
American should be moved to Salisbury after the war. . . . Anyhow, if
this new Rhodesian Dominion is to be made a success, big companies
which only do Rhodesian business should be encouraged to have their
head offices in Salisbury. I know these are not immediate questions,
but it is just as well to turn these problems over in one's mind.
When
constitutional changes did take place, they took the form of a
federation and not of a union; and they took longer to be effectuated
than the optimists had hoped would be the case. By the time the
Federation was established, the Anglo American Corporation group had
already taken the decisive steps which were to transform its relations
with the various governments concerned. The Rhodesia and the
