试论二十世纪三十年代上海美丰银行的倒闭

Discussion about the closing down of Shanghai American Oriental Banking Corporation in 1930s

上海美丰银行(American Oriental Banking Corporation)于1918年由雷文(Frank Jay Raven)创办,该行除经营存放款等商业银行业务外,还通过美东银公司和普益地产公司将大部分资金用于地产和证券投机。随着上海房地产业衰落和美国白银政策影响,上海美丰银行于1935年倒闭。在清理的过程中,雷文被揭发出挪用诈骗他人存款等犯罪事实,被美国在华法院(theUnited States Court for China)判处入狱5年。归根到底,美丰银行的倒闭是金融市场的衰落和自身从事高风险投资行为导致的结果,这起事件扰乱了当时的金融秩序,也暴露了中美两国对其监管的漏洞。当今是一个经济全球化的时代,各种各样的衍生物纷拥迭至,美丰银行事件,无论给银行还是监管部门,都有许多重要的启示。

The American Oriental Banking Corporation of Shanghai was launched by Frank Jay Raven in 1918. It not only dealed in deposit and loan services, but also invested most of money in estate and securities through the related American Oriental Finance Corporation and the Asia Reality Company. It closed door in 1935 which was influenced by the decline of reality business and the U.S. silver policy. At the process of liquidation, Raven＇s guilt was exposed by liquidator and district attorney. He was convicted of embezzlement and sentenced to five years by the United States Court for China. Ill general, the American Oriental Banking Corporation of Shanghai was folded up as a resuh of the decline of financial market and high-risk speculation. It disturbed the financial order of the time and revealed the legal loophole of supervision between China and the U. S. A. Nowadays, it is the age of economic globalization and an increasing number of financial derivatives have arisen. The American Oriental Banking Corporation event has given many important lessons to banks and supervisory board.