1933-03: Dear Son (from Stan the Philanthropist)

"This letter written in March 1933 by Stan to his son Clarence in Germany is choice from the standpoint that it discloses something about Stan's temperament and loyalty to the United States.  In 1933, economic conditions in the United States were anything but good.  The banks had closed their doors and many of them were unable to reopen.  Stan's bank was one of those.  Yet he had faith in the institutions of the U.S. government in spite of the political hegemony of the Democratic party at that time.  "But this is still the best country in the world," he states.  "Everything is going to get better from now on."'

"Such optimism could be found in few people in those days.  In this kind of acceptance of things the way they were without succumbing to panic, philanthropists were born.  Stan was one of them.  He set his sights straight ahead and made the most of each day, helping his neighbor as he went."

(Sentiments above written by Clarence Crandall)

(Spelling preserved in letter below)

Dear Son.

I hapened to read part of Mothers letter and she was so pesamistic I thought I had better write a little something to keep you from hitch hikeing home. 
Things are bad here in the U.S. probably the worst that it has ever ben  since the sivel war But this is still the best countrey in the worlrd and we know that everything is goeing to be all wright.  The people have lost confidence in the banks under the present sistem,
and banks were goeing broke every day so they have called a bank holliday for a few days to try and work out a plan so that when they are opened people will dare to put there money in them again.
And I cannot help but think that it will be a good thing and that everything is goeing to get better from now on. 
Anyway we are still eateing good and perhaps haveing just about as good a time as we had when we were spending a lot of money.
I sent you another Money order today $35.  I dont think that you will have any trouble in casheing it by the time it gets there.  and I hope by the time Mother writes again that things will be moore rory [rosy?]than they are now.
I dont know of anything exciteing to write I think you get most of the hapenings in the guardian. 
Be good and watchout for the Frawlines,

Love Dad.