The reason for this was that on the spur of the moment it was, of course, impossible to sell perfectly sound assets of a bank and convert them into cash except at panic prices far below their real value.īy the afternoon of March 3 scarcely a bank in the country was open to do business. A rush so great that the soundest banks could not get enough currency to meet the demand.

What, then, happened during the last few days of February and the first few days of March? Because of undermined confidence on the part of the public, there was a general rush by a large portion of our population to turn bank deposits into currency or gold. In other words the total amount of all the currency in the country is only a small fraction of the total deposits in all of the banks. A comparatively small part of the money you put into the bank is kept in currency-an amount which in normal times is wholly sufficient to cover the cash needs of the average citizen. In other words, the bank puts your money to work to keep the wheels of industry and of agriculture turning around. It invests your money in many different forms of credit-bonds, commercial paper, mortgages and many other kinds of loans.

I know that when you understand what we in Washington have been about I shall continue to have your cooperation as fully as I have had your sympathy and help during the past week.įirst of all let me state the simple fact that when you deposit money in a bank the bank does not put the money into a safe deposit vault. I owe this in particular because of the fortitude and good temper with which everybody has accepted the inconvenience and hardships of the banking holiday. I recognize that the many proclamations from State Capitols and from Washington, the legislation, the Treasury regulations, etc., couched for the most part in banking and legal terms should be explained for the benefit of the average citizen. I want to tell you what has been done in the last few days, why it was done, and what the next steps are going to be.

I want to talk for a few minutes with the people of the United States about banking-with the comparatively few who understand the mechanics of banking but more particularly with the overwhelming majority who use banks for the making of deposits and the drawing of checks.

Fdr fireside chats topic