United States -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1945; United States -- History
The National City Bank of New York--the first bank in the history of the
Western Hemisphere to show resources exceeding one billion
dollars--illustrates in its development the cyclonic changes that the
past few years have brought into American business circles. The National
City Bank, originally chartered in 1812, had resources of $16,750,929 in
1879 and of $18,214,823 in 1889. From that point its development has
been electric. The resources of the Bank totaled 128 millions in 1899;
280 millions in 1909; $1,039,418,324 in 1919. Between 1889 and 1899 they
increased 600 per cent; between 1899 and 1919 they increased 700 per
cent; during the 40 years from 1889 and 1919 the increase in resources
exceeded six thousand per cent.
The organization of the Bank is indicative of the organization of modern
business. Among the twenty-one directors, all of whom are engaged in
some form of business enterprise, there are the names of William
Rockefeller, Percy A. Rockefeller, J. Ogden Armour, Cleveland H. Dodge
of the Phelps-Dodge Corporation, Cyrus H. McCormick of the International
Harvester Co., Philip A. S. Franklin, President of the International
Mercantile Marine Co.; Earl D. Babst, President of the American Sugar
Refining Co.; Edgar Palmer, President of the New Jersey Zinc Co.;
Nathan C. Kingsbury, Vice-President of the Union Pacific Railroad Co.,
and Frank Krumball, Chairman of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Co. Some
of the most powerful mining, manufacturing, transportation and public
utility interests in the United States are represented, directly or
indirectly, in this list.
The domestic organization of the Bank consists of five divisions, each
one under a vice-president. New York City constitutes the first
division; the second division comprises New England and New York State
outside of New York City; the three remaining divisions cover the other
portions of the United States. Except for the size and the completeness
of its organization, the National City Bank differs in no essential
particulars from numerous other large banking institutions. It is a
financial superstructure built upon a massive foundation of industrial
enterprise.
The phase of the Bank's activity that is of peculiar significance at the
present juncture is its foreign organization, all of which has been
established since the outbreak of the European war.
The foreign business of the National City Bank is carried on by the
National City Bank proper and the International Banking Corporation. The
first foreign branch of the National City Bank was established at Buenos
Aires on November 10th, 1914. On January 1st, 1919, the National City
Bank had a total of 15 foreign branches; on December 31st, 1919, it had
a total of 74 foreign branches.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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