A letter from Joseph Göddeke, he was born 3rd Aug. 1850 in Beisinghausen, Kr. Meschede, Westfalen, Prussia.

Editorial notes are in [..], and punctuation differs for a better understanding.

                                                                                                        Detroit, Michigan, December 1st 1921
To Mister Joseph Bergob and family !
My dears in the old Heimat !

As my contemporaries almost all already have departed this life, you and your sons are nearly the only ones from whom I can expect a sign of life from the dear old Heimat. I should have replied sooner to your son Anton´s nice letter, which he has written to me on your behalf, but such thing often gets delayed and forgotten.
On 17th November I got a postcard from your honorable Rev. W[ilhel]m Honigmann, which reported the death of my friend Johannes Schulte, as well as the death of my other friend A. J. Schulte from Bremke, who set off his journey from here to there on 28th May.
A. J. Schulte was a very ill man when he left Detroit. I had little hope he would recover entirely, but I didn´t expect him to die that suddenly. Since Mrs. Mues is ill, I hear very little from there [Reiste area], Johannes Mues also seems to become lazy in writing. Franz Kracht, my neighbour here, started his visiting-tour from here to there in early August, born in Cobbenrode [ab. 12 km from Reiste], he stayed there for eleven weeks, travelled for two weeks through the Rhineland, Baden, Württemberg, and Bavaria, and returned on 21st November. He told me queer incidents in the area occupied by the Black French. We too have read in our catholic newspapers about the infamous actions of the Black French soldiers. In the usual press they don´t tell about the Black French monsters, our English speaking daily press is till today friendly to the French and Englishmen. The most influencing daily press in English was bought up by the Englishmen at the beginning of the war in 1914. 800 million dollars were paid to these 250 newspapers by England, and they would write what was dictated by England. German soldiers were blamed for the worst atrocities, they were called barbars, huns, boches, and hords. On the other hand, the Englishmen, the French, and the Belgians were represented as noble and innocent peoples, who were forced to war. The stupid American people did believe the lies, which were served, thus our President, whose grandfather was an Englishman, was gained for the war. Our Congress and Senat, whose ancestors also were Englishmen, voted for war, and it began. That time America seemed to become a great lunatic asylum. Even Americans, who have German parents, did believe the English lies, that the Germans were a barbarian people. As a result, the Germanness was hated, in some cities even the German language was forbidden. For nine years I am the President of the biggest Catholic Aid Society [St. Joseph´s Liebesbund] with 400 members, in our assemblies partly German, partly English is spoken. In the mentioned period of hate against the Germans, in every assembly I have spoken German only, and I haven´t failed to call the English and French a people of liars. Several times I was threatened with jail, the secret police was alert, but I was not afraid, I was speaking more German than I used to before. At the moment it turned out that the Englishmen lied and cheated to the American. America also is suffering from the result of participating in the war. A recession began 16 months ago, here in our city alone, thousands of workers are unemployed. all over America the jobless were estimated 6 millions. The former President Wilson is publicly cursed. I think now I have told you enough of the American humbug, and I want to close this time, hoping that you and your family are all doing well, in our family also everybody, thank God, is doing well. The best wishes from us all, especially from my dear wife and myself

                                                                   Joseph Goeddeke


[on the edge of the letter:] As I was told from there your son Anton became the Principal of the Reiste community, Congratulations. Furthermore I request the Mister Principal to report some news of the community in his next letter. Is Johann Engelhardt, Nichtinghausen still alive? Best wishes to the Principal Anton Bergob. J.G.