Undoubtedly the loss of the Chinese Eastern Railway business, on whose millions the Dalbank today is thriving, has caused the [Directors and: principal sharebwlders to decide upon voluntary liquidation. When the Bank lost the C. E. they lost practically everything that was any use to them in the Far East. It also must not be forgotten that up to the Revolution, the Russo-Awatic Bank had branches all lover Russia, and that actually more than seven-eighths of its business was then Russian.
In view of the Ni nationalization of all its offices in Russia, the Bank has had to confine its operations to the Far East and, ig its head office in P obtained the protection of ti [French flag, which flies over all its branches. At the same time the submitted—to the Bank has had, have been taken to the Chinese Courts, This is a point on much emphasis! must be laid and which perhaps hae influenced the Bank Directors to take the step they have just taken Tt must also be remembered that, at the Bank meeting which was held as far back as 1897, when the capital was increased from six io 114 million roubles, that the Chines Government agreed to put in capital of 5 million Kuping taels, Tt seems probable that the Directors felt that their position in the Far East and especially in Manchuria, was gradually growing from bad worse, and not at all secure, taking] into ion the activity was attempted, when the French Minister Jand representatives of the Bank recently went to Mukden and coi, ferred with Marshal Chang: Tso-'The mission apparently failed the Directors seem to have decided that there was no alternative but to close the Bank altogether.
Rumour has it that a new Bank, Franco-Chinese, is to be born in its stead and will' buy outright from the Russo-Asiatic Bank all its asse: s and liabilities, so that creditors will be paid in full, and yet at the sam time have nothing to do with the o'd Jeoncern or its shares. In this we, the shares held in Russia by the Bolsheviks will be wiped off the slate,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.