1930年代のパレスチナにおける「金融資本」の一考察

抄録

Among few socio-economic studies of Palestine. Prof. Itagaki has once presumed that "Jewish" monopolies had formed in Palestine in the mid-1930s. This paper is an attempt to examine his presumption from the viewpoint of (Finance Capital). First, I traced the banking situation in Palestine in the mid-1930s. At the end of March 1936, 66% of total deposit and 45% of total loan (advances and bills discounted) were shared by six(6) foreign banks. The rest of percentage were shared by local banks and credit co-operative societies, the number of which was 169. Four out of those six foreign banks were called as "Big Four". The biggest was the Barclays Bank (D.C.O.) which acted as the government's bank and had 12 branches/agencies in Palestine. Then the Anglo-Palestine Bank which had 11 branches, the Ottoman Bank with 5 branches, the Banco di Roma with 4 branches followed. While foreign banks had advantages of receiving the deposits at low rate of interest and investing them to foreign guilt-edged securities, local banks received mainly time deposits at high rate of interest and lent them to the local customers. In consequence of the mass immigration from Germany, although the number of local banks rapidly increased from the beginning of 1930's, after the panic of 1935, a new banking regulation strengthened the consolidation of those small banks. It meant progress in the concentration of capital in banking business. Secondly, I analysed the interrelation of credit institutions in Palestine. The foreign banks seemed to have little connection with local credit institutions. However, the Anglo-Palestine Bank was an exception, and besides, an American investment company. Palestine Economic Corporation, had invested to many local credit institutions. I assume there existed two finance groups among local credit institutions. One was the (A.P.B.) group. Their nucleus was the Anglo-Palestine Bank which was a subsidiary of the Jewish Colonial Trust financed by the Lloyds' Bank and had close ties with Zionist Organization. The other was the (P.E.C.) group. An affiliate of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Palestine Economic Corpotaion, was their nucleus. Thirdly, I made an analysis of the relation between those two groups and four large local industrial enterprises. Those enterprises were the so-called "Jewish" monopolies consisting of Palestine Electric Corporation, Jerusalem Electric & Public Service Corporation, Portland Cement Company "Nesher" Ltd., and Palestine Potash Limited. In the way of the interlocking directorate of six members, the relation between P.E.C. and Palestine Potash Limited was very close. On the other hand, the facts that the main banker of Jerusalem Electric & Public Service Corporation was the Ottoman Bank, and that of Portland Cement Company "Nesher" Ltd. was the Barclays Bank, Ltd. may indicate their close connections with foreign banks. As for Palestine Electric Corporation, besides the Barclays Bank (D.C.O.), the A. P. B. had been nominated as its main banker. Moreover, the interlocking directorate of one number was between the corporation and the A. P. B. Although the nucleus of those two local finance groups were incorporated abroad, they had very close ties with two out of four local big industrial enterprises. In this respect, I may conclude the local finance capital in Palestine was formed in the mid-1930s.