Peace-time has not been without its problems of a new order, but the post-War generation of bankers dealt with. them successfully, having taken in their striae steps winch might have nonplussed even their predecessors. Then even before September, 1939, it was essentia] to prepare for condi-ions which might never arise, but for Lich, so far as possible, provision must be made. It may here be inter-palated that the bankers of 1914 had no opportunity of taking similar pre-precautions, But last year the darkening clouds on the international political horizon rendered that course Necessary, And that such action was taken with wisdom is due 19 the farseeing policy of the bankers of the last War and the breadth of vision of their successors, whose preparations for and the solution of the innumerable problems with which they had to deal in the closing months of the past year have resulted in the position where British banking stands unassailed, its strength and integrity greater than ever before, and its esteem regarded without parallel,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.