The Denver Jewish news., 1924-05-08

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are modelled on those of New York
Jewish notices can be seen placated,
and in one of the exchanges there is
Jewish restaurant.
The term "Masel and Brocho"
by the non-Jews.
1t is computed that there are about
5000 manufacturers, merchants and
which is used to denote clinching of
sale, has been freely adopted, even
brokers in Antwerp, some 900 of
whom are of the Jewish race. There
are also many Jewish cutters and pol
ishers, and q large number of the
more skilled class known as the cleav-
ers, are Jews. The bulk of the pol
ishers, however, belong to the Flem-
mish nation which produced the dis
coverer of the art of polishing dia-
monds-Lodewyk van Berken-whose,
beautiful statue with q diamond in his
hand adorns one of the main streets
of Antwerp.
The relations between the Jews and
non-Jews are in every way satisfac-
tory for the latter, who have pow
erful union, realize the Importance of
the Jews who have done so much for
the development of the export trade
on which the industry depends.
In Amsterdam, where the diamond
trade has very old traditions, the pro-
portion of Jews is as large, and the
vast exchange holding over 1000 mem
bers, with its post office, billiard
rooms, restaurant, is entirely closed
on the Jewish sabbath, which has not
been possible to achieve in Antwerp,
in spite of its preponderant number
of Jewish merchants.
But if Antwerp and Amsterdam are
the homes of the polished diamond,
which are frequented by buyers from
all parts of the world, London has
remained the centre for the rough, un-
polished diamond.
1t has recently been brought to
light, that in the year 1889, when the
then newly formed Jewish community
of London was threatened with spe-
cial heavy taxation, owing to the ever
current fable that all the Jews are
wealthy, the spirited Jewish leaders
of that time replied by petition
which was presented to Parliament, in
which they demonstrated the falsity
of the assertion.
In the course of their petition they
stated
"That the market for diamonds in
the East Indies was formerly in Goa
belonging to the Portuguese) and by
the means and industry of the Jews,
the market hath been brought to the
English factories, and by that means
England has in manner the sole
management of that precious COM
modify, and all foreigners bring their
monies into this Kingdom to purchase
the said diamonds"
Jews have also played great part
in the mining industry of South
Africa, one need only mention such
names as Belt, Joels, Barnatos, and
if the discovery of diamonds in the
Belgian Congo cannot be directly
traced to Jews, it has no doubt re-
ceived great incentive from the Jew
ish merchants in Antwerp.
1t is not long since large quantities
of diamonds have been found in Brit
ish Guiana, where the pioneers were
Jews, and it may be of interest to re-
call that the founder of the Colony
of Berbice in British Guiana) was
Senior Abrahams van Peres, Jew
and Director of the Dutch West India
Company. At the present time there
are several Jewish young men ac-
eliminating themselves to the life in
the hardly explored bushes of British
Guiana and exporting diamonds to
Antwerp.
Diamonds are also exported from
Brazil, which it is significant to note,
was wrested from the Spanish in
1924, with the help of the Jews in
the Dutch West India Company, re-
ciprocating the asylum which Holland
granted them in their flight from
Spanish persecution.
The diamond trade thus forms one
of the romances of business, and for
its wide ramifications has perhaps few
equals.
Though its chief use is as an orna-
ment, the diamond provides a liveli-
hood and gives employment to an in
calculable number of people, whilst
it is the means of raising a large
revenue to the State, chiefly to Amer
ica, by the duty levied on its importa-
ton.
The indispensable part the diamond
plays in the industries of the world
because of its unequalled qualities, is