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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

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                                    FORM T-1

                            STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY
                    UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939 OF
                   A CORPORATION DESIGNATED TO ACT AS TRUSTEE

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               CHECK IF AN APPLICATION TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY OF
                A TRUSTEE PURSUANT TO SECTION 305(b)(2) ________
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                            THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK
               (Exact name of trustee as specified in its charter)

NEW YORK                                                              13-4994650
(State of incorporation                                         (I.R.S. employer
if not a national bank)                                      identification No.)

270 PARK AVENUE
NEW YORK, NEW YORK                                                         10017
(Address of principal executive offices)                              (Zip Code)

                               William H. McDavid
                                 General Counsel
                                 270 Park Avenue
                            New York, New York 10017
                               Tel: (212) 270-2611
            (Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)
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                      THE EQUITABLE COMPANIES INCORPORATED
                               EQ CAPITAL TRUST I
                               EQ CAPITAL TRUST II
                              EQ CAPITAL TRUST III
                               EQ CAPITAL TRUST IV
               (Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter)

DELAWARE                                                              13-3623351
(State or other jurisdiction of                                 (I.R.S. employer
incorporation or organization)                               identification No.)

1290 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS
NEW YORK, NEW YORK                                                         10104
 (Address of principal executive offices)                             (Zip Code)

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                             SENIOR DEBT SECURITIES
                       (Title of the indenture securities)
          -------------------------------------------------------------



                                     GENERAL

Item 1.  General Information.

         Furnish the following information as to the trustee:

         (a) Name and address of each  examining  or  supervising  authority  to
             which it is subject.

             New York State Banking Department, Suite 2310, 5 Empire State 
             Plaza, Albany, New York 12223.  Board of Governors of the Federal 
             Reserve System 20th and C Street NW, Washington, D.C., 20551.
             Federal Reserve Bank of New York, District No. 2, 33 Liberty 
             Street, New York, N.Y. 10045.
             Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 550 Seventeenth Street NW
             Washington, D.C., 20429.

         (b) Whether it is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers.

              Yes.

Item 2.  Affiliations with the Obligor.

         If the obligor is an affiliate of the trustee, describe each such
         affiliation.

         None.

                                      - 2 -


Item 16.   List of Exhibits

           List  below  all  exhibits  filed  as a part  of  this  Statement  of
           Eligibility.

           1. A copy of the  Articles  of  Association  of the Trustee as now in
effect, including the Organization Certificate and the Certificates of Amendment
dated February 17, 1969, August 31, 1977, December 31, 1980,  September 9, 1982,
February 28, 1985, December 2, 1991 and July 10, 1996 (see Exhibit 1 to Form T-1
filed  in  connection  with  Registration  Statement  No.  333-06249,  which  is
incorporated by reference).

           2. A copy of the  Certificate of Authority of the Trustee to Commence
Business  (see  Exhibit  2 to Form T-1  filed in  connection  with  Registration
Statement No. 33-50010, which is incorporated by reference. On July 14, 1996, in
connection  with the  merger  of  Chemical  Bank and The  Chase  Manhattan  Bank
(National  Association),  Chemical Bank, the surviving corporation,  was renamed
The Chase Manhattan Bank).

           3. None,  authorization  to exercise  corporate  trust  powers  being
contained in the documents identified above as Exhibits 1 and 2.

           4. A copy of the  existing  By-Laws of the Trustee  (see Exhibit 4 to
Form T-1 filed in connection with Registration Statement No. 333-06249, which is
incorporated by reference).

           5. Not applicable.

           6. The consent of the Trustee  required by Section  321(b) of the Act
(see Exhibit 6 to Form T-1 filed in connection with  Registration  Statement No.
33-50010,  which is incorporated  by reference.  On July 14, 1996, in connection
with  the  merger  of  Chemical  Bank and The  Chase  Manhattan  Bank  (National
Association),  Chemical Bank, the surviving  corporation,  was renamed The Chase
Manhattan Bank).

           7. A copy of the latest report of condition of the Trustee, published
pursuant to law or the requirements of its supervising or examining authority.

           8. Not applicable.

           9. Not applicable.

                                    SIGNATURE

         Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Trust  Indenture  Act of 1939 the
Trustee,  The Chase Manhattan  Bank, a corporation  organized and existing under
the laws of the State of New York, has duly caused this statement of eligibility
to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, all in
the City of New York and State of New York, on the 16th day of January, 1998.

                                       THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK


                                       By   /s/ W.B. Dodge
                                          --------------------------
                                                W.B. Dodge
                                                Vice President

                                      - 3 -



                              Exhibit 7 to Form T-1

                                Bank Call Notice

                             RESERVE DISTRICT NO. 2
                       CONSOLIDATED REPORT OF CONDITION OF

                            The Chase Manhattan Bank
                  of 270 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10017
                     and Foreign and Domestic Subsidiaries,
                     a member of the Federal Reserve System,

                 at the close of business September 30, 1997, in
         accordance with a call made by the Federal Reserve Bank of this
         District pursuant to the provisions of the Federal Reserve Act.

                                                                  DOLLAR AMOUNTS
                     ASSETS                                         IN MILLIONS

Cash and balances due from depository institutions:
     Noninterest-bearing balances and
     currency and coin .................................................$ 11,760
     Interest-bearing balances .........................................   4,343
Securities:  ...........................................................        
Held to maturity securities.........................................2,704
Available for sale securities...........................................  37,885
Federal funds sold and securities purchased under
     agreements to resell ..............................................  27,358
Loans and lease financing receivables:
     Loans and leases, net of unearned income....... $127,370
     Less: Allowance for loan and lease losses......    2,760
     Less: Allocated transfer risk reserve .........       13
                                                     --------
     Loans and leases, net of unearned income,
     allowance, and reserve ............................................ 124,597
Trading Assets .........................................................  64,630
Premises and fixed assets (including capitalized
     leases)............................................................   2,925
Other real estate owned ................................................     286
Investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries and
     associated companies...............................................     232
Customers' liability to this bank on acceptances
     outstanding .......................................................   2,212
Intangible assets ......................................................   1,480
Other assets ...........................................................  11,117
                                                                        --------
TOTAL ASSETS ...........................................................$291,529
                                                                        ========

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                                   LIABILITIES

Deposits
     In domestic offices ...............................................$ 86,574
     Noninterest-bearing .................................... $31,818
     Interest-bearing .......................................  54,756
                                                              -------

     In foreign offices, Edge and Agreement subsidiaries,
     and IBF's .........................................................  69,887
     Noninterest-bearing..................................... $ 3,777
     Interest-bearing .......................................  66,110

Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agree-
ments to repurchase ....................................................  45,307
Demand notes issued to the U.S. Treasury ...............................     161
Trading liabilities ....................................................  47,406

Other borrowed money (includes mortgage indebtedness
     and obligations under capitalized leases):
     With a remaining maturity of one year or less .....................   4,578
     With a remaining maturity of more than one year
         through three years............................................     261
     With a remaining maturity of more than three years...............131
Bank's liability on acceptances executed and outstanding................   2,212
Subordinated notes and debentures ......................................   5,715
Other liabilities ......................................................  12,355

TOTAL LIABILITIES ...................................................... 274,587
                                                                        --------

                                 EQUITY CAPITAL

Perpetual preferred stock and related surplus...........................       0
Common stock ...........................................................   1,211
Surplus  (exclude all surplus related to preferred stock)...............  10,294
Undivided profits and capital reserves .................................   5,414
Net unrealized holding gains (losses)
on available-for-sale securities .......................................       7
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustments ....................      16

TOTAL EQUITY CAPITAL ...................................................  16,942
                                                                        --------

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY CAPITAL ...................................$291,529
                                                                        ========

I, Joseph L. Sclafani,  E.V.P. & Controller of the  above-named  bank, do hereby
declare that this Report of Condition has been prepared in conformance  with the
instructions issued by the appropriate Federal regulatory  authority and is true
to the best of my knowledge and belief.

                                    JOSEPH L. SCLAFANI

We, the  undersigned  directors,  attest to the  correctness  of this  Report of
Condition  and declare  that it has been  examined by us, and to the best of our
knowledge  and belief has been  prepared in  conformance  with the  instructions
issued by the appropriate Federal regulatory authority and is true and correct.

                                    WALTER V. SHIPLEY           )
                                    THOMAS G. LABRECQUE         ) DIRECTORS
                                    WILLIAM B. HARRISON, JR.    )

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