New-York tribune., 1919-05-18
Fritz and the
A n t w erp
Diamonds

fore the war the great Belgian sea-
port was the principal seat Of the
worlds diamond industry-a dis
tinction formerly held by the rival
Dutch port Of Amsterdam. 1t
would be long story to tell how
and why the trade shifted its CEN
tre-the fact remains that prior
to August /, 1914, more diamond
business was transacted at Antwerp
than in the rest of Europe taken
together.
And now? Listen to the account
the Rotterdam correspondent Of the
"Berliner Neueste Nachrichten"
gives of the passing Of Antwerp's
diamond glory:
an the year 1914 there were about
200 diamond cutting shops in Antwerp,
employing about $4,000 cutters and 81
600 cementers, altogether about 10000
highly skilled workmen, who earned
over 1O0,00o,o00 francs 20,0O0,000)
year. Besides, there were between g.
900 and 1000 manufacturers, merchants
and brokers'; what these men earned it
is impossible to tell; it is certain that
they dressed very fashily and spent
lots of money. If it is considered fur
ther that these $4,000 diamond men had
families averaging three to four mem
bers, it will be found that the living of
over 100000 people depended directly on
the diamasd trade. Add to this the
large number Of hotel and cafe owners
who made huge sums on the diamond
trade. The fact is these men acted as
private bankers to the cutters, who
lived almost exclusively in hotels and
boarding houses and paid their ac-
counts at long intervals. Finally, there
were the hosts of tradesmen and re-
tailers who supplied the diamond peo-
ple with provisions, clothes and furni-
ture. The Diamond Club Of Antwerp,
where the yearly business ran into
millions of francs, had a membership
Of 10000, all of them merchants, brok-
ers or manufacturers.
"This club was situated in a gorgeous
building near the railroad terminal. 1t
contained an exchange hall over 800
feet in length. During the war this hall
was destroyed, but last year it was re-
stored. Here diamonds were bought
and sold, offers whispered and shouted
in all European languages; here the
courts of arbitration and conciliation
had their chambers, Institutions which
rescued club members from the claws
of lawyers. The courts proved great
body ever heard of lawsuit in the
diamond trade. The cutting industry
was almost exclusively in Belgian
hands; on the contrary, buying and
selling were altogether controlled by
Soreigners-more than half Of the mer-
Poles.
What could such Polish Jew do
in 1914 when the Germans entered
Belgium7 If he hailed from Warsaw
he was Russian subject and an
enemy alien; if he came from Cracow
he was an Austrian and liable to mill
tary service at home. And yet those
from Warsaw and those from Cracow
were exactly the same people. When
the Germans retired and the Belgian
troops made their entry. these Jews
took to their heels and scattered in
I'LL OlrectlCnS OF tne compass.
'"The French papers called them
Boches, semi-Boches, triple Boches,
archi- -Boches and so on. This was
rather ill-considered. The newspapers
did not figure out what the exodus of
the Poles and Turks meant for Ant
werp. The industry is dead since the
merchants are gone. Out Of the 10000
cutting benches only about 1000 ar.
Still operated, $1,000 highly skilled
workmen starve. The Diamond Club
presents sorry sight If one looks
through the hugo crystal windows into
the exchange hall, one observes q
small group Of men. crouching around
fireplace as If lost; ono hears moth.
ing but the clink Of the glasses anf
the slapping of cards. / accosted 8
man who was Just about to leav.
What are these people waiting for
The man cast a shy glance at me anc
whispered: The Poles Where are tn,
Polish Finkelsteins and silberfeld,
and Fischers, tho Russian Tolkowsli,
kc 81 AZ