It will not lend to the poor man, however noble in character. But it will lend to the rogue who has sound security and other solid wealth. If it can have no faith in the rogue’s character, it has faith in his wealth, and it takes care to have his wealth first. Banks, therefore, are not judges of morals. A man’s private morals are not their concern, only his wealth. They desire to know nothing of a borrower’s private virtues or vices, they are only concerned about his financial or business standing. Therefore, if it be credit, it is a business, or wealth credit, a non-moral, not a moral credit, and the superstructure of credit on which the visionaries gaze is not a moral superstructure. If the banks lent only on accommodation paper, “kites” and such things, this would approach nearer to our ideas of credit. For accommodation paper is not representative of real wealth, though it may be manufactured by a house of strong financial standing. But banks, I believe, are most vigilant in distinguishing between “kites” and genuine bills of exchange, thereby demonstrating unmistakably their hesitation in depending solely upon business character, and not upon sound, genuine wealth. Credit is said to be evidence of civilization; the higher the civilization the higher the credit, or belief. Barter was the evidence of barbarism. As man becomes more intelligent, as his knowledge expands, as higher ideals lead him on, so he conceives loftier codes of ethics. As he grows more humane so he learns to have deeper trust in his neighbour. Knowledge teaches him how his life depends on the services rendered him by his neighbour, how he would struggle, and perhaps die, without his neighbour’s help. Knowledge growing into wisdom teaches him the still higher truths of altruism and morality. The wise nation, therefore, endeavouring to live by the higher morality, is greater than the nation that has not yet reached this mental and spiritual stage. The text of this chapter has been partly suggested by a pregnant passage in Mr. Hartley Withers’ book, “War and Lombard Street.” The value of the passage lies in the fact that it echoes the views of many. Let us examine it and endeavour to grasp the ideas behind it.