In their rich, paneled offices off an awninged terrace overlooking the Hudson in downtown Manhattan, officials of the Dutch diamond firm of J. K. Smit & Sons were solemn last week. Amsterdam and their home office were in Nazi hands. So, too, they feared, were snow-haired Johan Smit, head of the firm, and Joop, the second of his three partner-sons, who was with the Dutch Army. Suddenly came a cablegram, signed by Johan's oldest son, Jan: how soon could Smit's Manhattan office get and ship 500 diamond-cutting saws to London?
Joyfully the Smitmen...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
