▁position . ▁ ▁The ▁collapse ▁of ▁a ▁firm ▁of ▁Le h man ' s ▁size ▁would ▁have ▁cat ast roph ic ▁economic ▁re per cuss ions ▁well ▁beyond ▁the ▁firm ▁itself . ▁ ▁Because ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁political ▁support ▁for ▁a ▁government ▁b ail out ▁of ▁the ▁firm , ▁the ▁government ▁turns ▁to ▁Le h man ' s ▁compet itors ▁for ▁help . ▁ ▁Late ▁on ▁the ▁afternoon ▁of ▁ 1 2 ▁September , ▁a ▁Friday , ▁the ▁leaders ▁of ▁the ▁top ▁invest ment ▁banks ▁on ▁Wall ▁Street , ▁Le h man ' s ▁compet itors , ▁are ▁sum mon ed ▁to ▁the ▁Federal ▁Reserve ▁Bank ▁of ▁New ▁York . ▁American ▁Tre as ury ▁Secretary ▁H ank ▁Paul son ▁war ns ▁the ▁incred ul ous ▁group ▁that ▁Le h man ▁is ▁not ▁too ▁big ▁to ▁fail ▁and ▁that ▁there ▁will ▁be ▁no ▁b ail out ▁using ▁public ▁money . ▁ ▁Instead , ▁Paul son ▁c aj oles ▁the ▁bank ▁heads ▁to ▁work ▁out ▁some ▁joint ▁plan ▁among ▁themselves ▁to ▁rel ieve ▁Le h man ▁of ▁its ▁to xic ▁assets , ▁warning ▁them ▁that ▁the ▁ste ep ▁price ▁they ▁would ▁pay ▁to ▁save ▁Le h man ▁would ▁be ▁easily ▁out we ighed ▁by ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁its ▁failure . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁int im id ates ▁the ▁bank ▁heads ▁by ▁rem inding ▁them ▁that ▁they ▁too ▁will ▁soon ▁need ▁help . ▁ ▁A ▁solution ▁must ▁be ▁found ▁before ▁trad ing ▁opens ▁in ▁Japan ▁on ▁Monday ▁morning . ▁ ▁By ▁Friday ▁evening , ▁Bank ▁of