September 1940

Foreign Banking Laws and Reports Decree for the amendment of that law dated Simplification of procedure.—In view of September 15, 1939 (Reichsgesetzblatt I, p. the necessity of bringing the to 1953), with the stipulation that its functions the high standard of efficiency demanded by be transferred to the Minister of Eco- modern management concepts, attention was nomics. The Reichsbank continues as before directed during the report year to the sim- to cooperate in the supervision of credit. plification of Reichsbank procedure.

BALANCE SHEET OF THE GERMAN REICHSBANK AS OF DECEMBER 30, 1939r AND DECEMBER 31, 1938 [ID thousands of ]

Assets 1939 1938 Liabilities 1939 1938

Gold, not under lien ( bars, domestic and Total bank note issue 23,868,820 18, 716, 777 foreign coins) : Credit balances of giro accounts 2,018,189 1,527,469 In the vaults of the bank (0 60,201 Non-interest-bearing deposits 27 27 With foreign banks of issue (0 10,572 Original capital 150,000 150,000 Legal reserve fund (including transfers from 70,773 70,773 net profits of the year).- 99,054 87,353 Reserve for pension and unemployment fund.. 100,000 100,000 Cash: Reserve for contingent liabilities 320,000 274,962 Reichsbank notes 12,069, 527 10,492,892 Subsidiary coin 349, 652 116,453 Reserves for: Rentenbank notes 115,401 16, 778 Printing of new notes 31,000 21,250 New buildings 55,000 58,260 12, 534, 580 10, 626,123 86,000 79, 510 Credit balances in foreign currencies 35, 211 i 29, 544 Foreign notes 2,728 2,336 Reserve for future payments of dividends 40,307 40,307 Foreign bills and checks 186, 610 165, 544 Silver... 13 31 Miscellaneous: Interest on bills due in 1940 and ,1939 re- Domestic bills and checks: spectively. _ 61,883 36, 620 Treasury bills of the Reich (0 120,690 Dividends due but not yet paid 387 322 Other domestic bills and checks ... 7,959,062 Dollar Treasury notes of the Reich due in CO 1926 but not yet presented 4_. __ 141 11,200,866 8,079, 752 Liabilities in foreign currencies. __ Unpaid claim of the German Govern- Loans against collateral (lombards), viz.: ment—contra account __ 70,082 70,082 Loans against gold and silver (Sec. 13, 5a Other liabilities. 227,147 102,336 of the Reichsbank Law) Loans against bills and Treasury bills 359,499 209,511 (Sec. 13, 5b) 873 5,884 Loans against securities (Sec. 13, 5d) 20,397 19, 731 Net profits for the year less 10 per cent assigned Loans against goods (Sec. 13, 5e) 8,729 19, 246 to the legal reserve 105,311 36,607 30,000 44,861 Securities eligible for note cover 803, 721 565, 052 Other securities _ 418,209 298,820 Overdue and doubtful claims (3) (3) Land and buildings 30,000 30,000 Claims due on balance from the Reich. 91,410 92, 601 Miscellaneous: Bank notes no longer fit for circulation 1,358 1,238 Postponed claim on the German Govern- ment in virtue of Sec. 11,4, of the law of Aug. 30, 1924, for the liquidation of Rentenbank notes in circulation __. 70,082 70,082 Credit balances with post office accounts.. 39,072 48,168 Investments for pension and unemploy- ment fund -. 99,995 100,000 claims on foreign corre- spondents 13,193 10,005 Revolving credit to the Reich. _ 985,400 208, 600 Claims against the Reich for sinking-fund purchases 11, 069 22,460 Foreign exchange authorized but not yet delivered 183,455 Government debt C taken over from the former Austrian National Bank 101,379 104,615 Claim arising from the liquidation of the Bank of Danzig 31,376 Claim arising from exchange of Czecho- slovak currency „ 306,746 Claim against the Reich Credit Agencies for their notes cashed 10,302 Items in transit 179, 784 Other claims _ 200,076 161, 717

1,743,086 1,217,086

Total assets.. 27,147, 208 21,222, 524 Total liabilities.. 27,147,208 21, 222,524

i Not shown separately. • Of which the equivalent of 3,179,000 Reichsmarks was assigned as cover for the notes in circulation. 3 Entered at the nominal amount of 1 Reichsmark. 4 See Reichsbank report for 1926.

SEPTEMBER 1940 949

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