ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the possible constitution of bank's business. It provides the balance sheet of the Deutsche Bank for December 31st, 1913, reprinted on pp. 144 and 145 as an example. The chapter shows some divergences to make a general idea of the type of business conducted by the greater German creditbanks before the War. While the investments of the English joint stock banks are supposed to consist almost entirely of gilt-edged securities, the description could hardly be applied at all to the Syndicate Participations of the German banks and to not more than half of their Securities. The one other matter to excite comment so far as the assets are concerned is the low percentage of Cash and Balances at Clearing-banks. The chapter also shows the cash reserves as percentages of all external liabilities, including acceptance liabilities against which the banks had offsetting claims on their customers.
