A Diamond in the Rough

by Marilyn Land

  Franz assigned the task of building a chest to hold the finished diamonds to Afram. He wrote Shiloh in Hebrew on a piece of paper and asked him to carve the letters of the name on the lid. As Ben and Sidney delivered each batch, he deposited them in the chest that sat in his sitting area in full view—placing them there only after the brothers left. A shallow tray sat atop the stones hiding them from view when one lifted the lid on the chest.

  Month after month after month, the finished pile increased while the rough diamonds in the storage area decreased. As each batch was delivered to Franz, he presented the Annex with a bank draft from his account. Through the years, he had amassed a small fortune. He lived frugally, had very few expenses, and The General Store had done quite well up to the time he turned it into The Smoker’s Shop, which in turn was passing all expectations.

  9 November 1938—Kristallnacht—the night of broken glass was a night of horror. The Nazis torched synagogues, vandalized Jewish homes, schools, and businesses and killed 100 Jews. It was the start of Nazi Germany’s march across Europe, invading and occupying country after county.

  On 1 September 1939, the Nazis invaded Poland; Great Britain under a Mutual Assistance Treaty were committed to defend the Poles. When Germany did not respond to the ultimatum issued by Neville Chamberlain for immediate withdrawal of German troops, Great Britain declared War on Germany.

  Now that Britain had entered the War, the strategic importance of industrial diamonds became acutely clear to the Allies, and to the United States.

  Diamonds were needed to stamp out the millions of precision parts necessary for mass production of airplane engines, torpedoes, tanks, artillery, and other weapons of war.

  However, diamonds and only diamonds could be used to draw the fine wire needed for radar and the electronics of war; diamonds and only diamonds could provide the jeweled bearings necessary for the stabilizers, gyroscopes, and guidance systems for submarines and planes; diamonds and only diamonds could provide the abrasives necessary for rapidly converting civilian industries into a war machine.

  Without a continuing supply of diamonds, a war machine would slow to a halt. Yet, De Beers who controlled the world supply of diamonds, kept the mines closed, and continued to stockpile any additional diamond acquisitions under the leadership of Sir Ernest Oppenheimer—a British subject.

  In preparation of war, Hitler had been stockpiling diamonds since 1936. Once hostilities broke out, he continued to import diamonds from South American producers over which De Beers had no control, namely Brazil and Venezuela.

  When Britain declared war against Germany, although the United States remained neutral, they pledged their support to Britain. As Hitler’s armies swept across Europe in a Blitzkrieg and threatened to invade England, it became clear a very real possibility existed that the world’s diamond stockpile could fall into Hitler’s hands. The loss of De Beers’ stockpile would render the UK impossible to continue fighting a war.

  At that time, the United States had less than a year’s supply of industrial diamonds. When economic planners estimated that America needed at least 6.5 million carats of industrial diamonds to convert its factories to war production, President Roosevelt ordered the War Production Board to purchase the diamonds necessary from De Beers.

  Oppenheimer resisted. He personally opposed the sale of diamonds to the United States; it ran counter to all De Beers stood for and all he had accomplished. Its entire system of monopolizing diamonds depended on its controlling the available stockpile. If they honored the purchase, and the war suddenly ended, they would have no control over the release of the remaining diamonds, undercutting the entire world order that he had so vigorously constructed.

  Eventually an agreement was reached where the diamonds would be supplied on a continual, as needed basis.

  Poland’s defeat by Germany was followed by the Phony War; over the winter of 1939-1940, neither Germany nor Britain and the Allies launched a major attack. In the spring of 1940, Germany invaded France, Belgium, Holland, Norway, and Denmark. These offenses became known as—Blitzkrieg meaning lightening war—due to the speed of the attacks.

  During the Battle of Britain, which lasted from June to September 1940, Germany’s Luftwaffe failed miserably in their attempt to dominate the British Royal Air Force. The Battle, was Hitler’s first defeat, and rendered him unable to move forward with his planned invasion of Britain, but not without leaving a wide path of destruction—the devastating air raids on London.

  In November 1940, the Zeller brothers received a wire from London from their father notifying them that Zeller’s—a London landmark established by their grandfather, carried on by their father, and where the brothers had learned all they knew about the business—had been destroyed by a Luftwaffe air raid.

  Zeller’s, on track to celebrate 75 years of business in the spring of 1941, was a total loss. When Ben and Sidney returned to Cape Town, they brought with them a letter from the brothers’ father. He wrote of health problems both he and their mother were facing, and he urged them to consider leaving South Africa, return to London, and takeover the Landmark store.

  For over three years, Paul and Phil had agonized over their father’s request. The brothers did not wish to leave what they had built, the success they enjoyed, or the lifestyle they had grown accustomed to. As upstanding members of the Town’s business and Jewish communities, they viewed their thirty-five years in Cape Town as an investment that had truly paid off. They considered South Africa their home and their future, not England.

  They had never given their father an outright denial or acceptance of his proposal. They were planning to travel to London to celebrate Zeller’s 75th Anniversary; at that time they would have a heart-to-heart talk with their father and explain that their best interests were vested in South Africa.

  The following week, they received a wire from Phil’s eldest daughter. Their father had suffered a massive heart attack. She urged them to drop everything and come immediately.

  After making arrangements for the store, and the Annex in their absence, they set sail for London. By the time their ship docked in England, their father had died.

  World War II escalated dramatically when Germany formed the Axis Alliance with Italy and Japan in June 1941.

  The South African government acted swiftly and issued a proclamation. For the next four years, the Union of South Africa was officially at war with Imperial Japan.

  Although the South African economy was not immediately affected, the foundation was laid for a war economy and for massive war production.

  The government saw Japan’s entry into the War as a very real threat to South Africa with emphasis on the vulnerability of her coasts and harbors. The Country’s coastal defenses were planned to meet simple hit-and-run raids, but with the Japanese forces overrunning one area after the other in the East, they feared a full-scale invasion.

  Although the Japanese war machine was formidable in December 1941, it was the Japanese Navy that posed the greatest threat to the Allies. It was of the highest urgency that South Africa ready herself for a possible Japanese incursion into the Indian Ocean.

  Ben and Sidney were beside themselves with worry. They had not heard from Harry since the air raids had begun. They had written twice, but had received no response as yet. In January 1941, they decided to send a wire to Harry at De Beers; it was a good decision. Several days later, they received a wire back, stating that despite the unending air raids on London, they were all safe. Harry added that they had purchased a house outside the city limits and were due to move within weeks, putting them at a distance from the attacks on the City and its harbors.

  The Zeller brothers remained in London; their mother was not fairing well. Phil and Lena’s daughters both living in England, urged their parents, aunt, and uncle to take whatever time was needed to make arrangements for their mother’s care and to settle their father’s estate. With
the War escalating, they pointed out the possibility existed that the time might soon come when they would be unable to return to England at will.

  Ben had no idea how Zeller Jewelers was doing; the employees the brothers had placed in charge seemed to be taking care of business as usual; and it was not his responsibility. The Annex, however, had seen a decrease in new orders, and in the brothers’ absence, no work was being processed for the store.

  Ben utilized this down time to continue to satisfy what had become the Annex’s No. 1 client—Shiloh. At long last, the end seemed in sight. He estimated that if all went well, by mid-April, if not sooner, Franz’s cache of rough diamonds would be cut and polished. All that remained was for Franz to catalogue the appraisals and summarize the number of diamonds and their weight to determine what they were worth.

  As Ben had calculated, the first week in April, he notified Franz that he and Sidney would bring the final batch by his shop after the Annex closed for the day.

  When the brothers arrived at The Smoker’s Shop, Franz beckoned them in and locked the door behind them. He took the diamonds and asked that they wait for him. He entered his living area, and hastily placed the diamonds inside the chest. He picked up the bank draft, and grabbing a jacket came back into the shop.

  He handed Ben the final payment on his Shiloh account, shook hands with both brothers, and said, “You have my undying gratitude. I can never thank you enough for what you have done for me, nor could I ever repay you. To start, however, please join me for a celebratory dinner.”

  “We were happy to help you in any way we could. As far as repaying us, you paid for our services, and no further payment is required; the Annex profited and kept us busy. And don’t be so sure there won’t be an occasion to call on you for a helping hand. That’s what friends are for, are they not?”

  The three of them left the shop for the short walk up to Long Street to the restaurant, but not before Franz grabbed three cigars for an after dinner smoke.

  Their friendship had endured for years without a single disagreement. They began as friends, but they had become family.

  Exactly one week after their celebratory dinner, Ben and Sidney received a wire from Marcus Hirsch. Their minds unwilling to comprehend what their eyes saw, as they read and reread the words on the paper Ben’s trembling hand held.

  PLEASE ACCEPT CONDOLENCES—STOP—SORRY TO ADVISE, BROTHER HARRY AND ENTIRE FAMILY EXCEPT FOR NEPHEW JACOB KILLED IN AIR RAID ON FRIDAY NIGHT LAST—STOP—JACOB LEFT TO JOIN RAF—STOP—WILL SEND INFO AS AVAILABLE—STOP

  MARCUS HIRSCH

  DE BEERS, LONDON, ENGLAND

  Franz urged Ben and Sidney to go to the synagogue and seek out the Rabbi for comfort and spiritual advice. Sidney was willing; Ben adamantly refused. As he vowed never to set foot inside a synagogue again, Sidney continued to accompany Franz to the Sabbath Services relentlessly seeking advice to help Ben.

  In the following months, they received three additional wires from Marcus Hirsch. The first notified them that a Memorial Service had been held one week after the tragedy, and that Jacob after being sworn in had reported for basic training in England.

  The second notified them that Jacob was en route to the United States for flight training to become a Royal Air Force pilot.

  The third notified the brothers that the remains had been recovered and Harry and his family were buried in the Brady Street Cemetery per Jacob’s instructions.

  To Ben, although each wire was encouraging, there was a deep sadness that engulfed him. At times, Sidney saw signs that gave him hope his brother was returning to his usual self; but all too often that hope was dashed when he caught him staring into space for long periods of time. He worried about him constantly. Neither he nor Franz could get through to him, and he remained adamant against speaking with the Rabbi.

  When the Zeller brothers finally returned, hardly any aspect of Cape Town life remained unaffected by the War in some way. The rationing of petrol restricted the movement of people; commodities such as motor vehicles, building materials, rubber, wood, paper, and agricultural implements were declared controlled goods.

  A shortage developed in food, such as meat, wheat, corn, and sugar, and wholesale and retail price indexes rose, causing the government to implement price controls.

  There was greater austerity in the country, as people began feeling the pinch of shortages and the accompanying rising costs. The realization that war has its price settled on the residents of Cape Town.

  All business establishments were affected. With profits down and prices up, people had less to spend on unnecessary items. The Annex still had several active accounts, but was barely turning a profit.

  Paul met with Ben to discuss letting Jonah and Nathan go; there was barely enough work for two cutters. Ben wouldn’t hear of it; they had families; where could they go? He convinced him to keep the brothers saying he and Sidney would take a reduction in pay until things improved. Paul was grateful.

  Ben, Sidney, and Franz continued to have dinner and enjoy a good cigar together albeit less frequently since rationing became a way of life. At times, they had dinner at the brothers’ cottage by pooling their rations.

  In April 1942, Franz was greeted by his old friend Ben opening the door bidding him, “Come in, come in. Dinner is almost ready, but first we will have a drink together.”

  Franz had no idea what had occurred to bring the old Ben back, and he didn’t much care. It had been one year since learning the devastating news of the tragedy in London. As the days and months passed, Ben remained withdrawn at best, and it had been a long time since a smile lit up his face—until tonight.

  There was no wine this night. Three glasses and a bottle of Vodka 100% Proof sat on the table. Next to the bottle laid the wire from Marcus Hirsch that had arrived that afternoon.

  JACOB SAFELY BACK IN ENGLAND—STOP—FULL-FLEDGED RAF PILOT—STOP—WILL NOTIFY WHEN POSTED—STOP—MAZEL TOV—STOP

  MARCUS HIRSCH

  DE BEERS, LONDON, ENGLAND

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  From the beginning of the War, South African Air and Naval Forces played an important role in watching over the trade routes along the Country’s shores. In addition, far away from enemy air force bases, South African air space was ideally suited for training purposes.

  As early as 1940, the South African government announced the British had accepted their offer of facilities for training airmen—a scheme that resulted in far reaching consequences for both the Royal Air Force and the South African Air Force. The Joint Air Training Scheme turned out to be one of the Country’s great success stories of the War. Even after the War had ended in Europe, it continued to provide a steady stream of pilots in the struggle against Japan.

  By the end of 1943, the war at sea and the threat of Japanese invasion of South Africa began to abate.

  For the most part, Cape Town residents felt fortunate that the War had not come to their doorstep. Enduring rationing and shortages seemed inconsequential compared to other countries around the world.

  On the eve of the War, ninety percent of Antwerp’s diamond businesses were in Jewish hands. It was at that time the most important center for diamond trade, totaling eighty percent of the world’s production and commercial activity. Only the distribution of raw diamonds was beyond Antwerp’s control; that control rested in the hands of the London Syndicate—The Diamond Trading Company—an affiliate of the South African conglomerate De Beers.

  In 1934, a partnership established the first financial institution to focus solely and entirely on the needs of the diamond industry, and opened its registered office in the very heart of Antwerp’s diamond district—Comptoir Diamantaire Anverois. In 1937, Belgium passed reform legislation that allowed the entity to become a Bank.

  Throughout the ensuing years leading up to the War, and as Jewish immigrants fleeing persecution in Germany and Eastern Euro
pe poured into the country, the vast majority settled in the diamond districts of Antwerp and Brussels.

  The diamond industry in Antwerp so disproportionately Jewish in membership was of great concern to the Bank. Adopting a proactive stance, in 1940 before the German invasion of Belgium, the managing director and his staff moved their clients’ diamond stock, consisting of loan collateral and goods in custody, and shipped them via France to England and ultimately into the United States. When the German occupation forces arrived, they found the safes, deposit boxes, and accounts empty.

  Although Germany’s goal was to eliminate the Jews, before they did so, they would have to tolerate them until they could exploit the Jewish diamond dealers in order to supply the German war machine with vitally needed raw materials. In short order, they rendered Antwerp’s diamond industry non-existent.

  As part of the Final Solution, from 1942 forward, the persecution of Belgian Jews escalated, but they were not alone. Important politicians who had opposed the Nazis before the War, Prime Minister Paul-Emile Janson, and thousands of Catholic workers accused of plotting a large-scale strike became victims, as well.

  News from the War and reports of the Allies’ victory after victory was a welcome start to the New Year—1944. With the debilitation of Antwerp’s diamond industry, the Annex acquired several new accounts and coupled with Zeller Jewelers increasing their demand, business picked up.

  It was good to be busy again, and to add to their elation Ben and Sidney were surprised and overwhelmed with emotion to receive a wire from Jacob.

  HOPE ALL IS WELL—STOP—ALL IS WELL HERE—STOP—WILL VISIT WHEN WAR IS OVER—STOP

  JACOB LYONS

  LONDON, ENGLAND

  To Ben the wire was so heartfelt that he folded the paper and carried it on his person wherever he went. It gave him hope that the War would soon end, and even if just on a visit, they would spend time with Jacob again.