Q197 Summary

Summary prepared by Fielding M. McGehee III. If you use this material, please credit The Jonestown Institute. Thank you.

To read the Tape Transcript, click here. Listen to MP3 (Pt. 1, Pt. 2).
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FBI Catalogue           Jones Speaking

FBI preliminary tape identification note: Labeled in part “5/31/78 News”

Date cues on tape:     Tape contents consistent with identification note

People named:

Bible verses cited:      None

Summary:

(Note: This tape was transcribed by Vicki Perry. The editors gratefully acknowledge her invaluable assistance.)

This tape consists of five separate parts, mostly likely recorded within a couple of days of each other. Four sections (Parts 1, 2, 4 and 5) consist of Jim Jones reading the news and a political commentary from an unknown source. A fifth section – Part 3 – is a relatively short segment of a meeting of the Jonestown community in which Jones quizzes a half dozen people on the news. The final two parts include instructions to the community in addition to the news summaries and capsules.

In Part 1, Jones reads an article by an unnamed French communist whom Jones denounces in several editorial asides as a revisionist. “I’m afraid I am not in sympathy with the Euro-communist view of the French. I find them sickeningly apologetic, sickeningly cowardly,” he says, then adds that he wants to presents all points of view on political theory. He invites others to do the same – to feel free to engage in honest and open debate – but cautions them to know what they’re talking about.  This opening segment of tape is likely a continuation of Tape 414, which concludes with several minutes of Jones reading from – and commenting upon – an unknown “French communist revisionist.”

Jones announces there will be movies that night, and while he denounces Hollywood films as “propaganda,” at least as far as pursuing the ends of the revolution, he says he will allow them, as long as someone is there to interpret them. He extends the same criticism to the music that people want to listen to, calling it “decadent” and “diversionary,” then adds, “I try to be understanding, but we are in a turmoil, we are in the defense of our revolution.”

His anxiety – over both the revisionism in the Euro-Communist article and the popular entertainment which Jonestown residents seek – is that he has learned that “that mercenary operations might take place in our area.” For that reason, people must remain alert  and ready to fight.

The section end with Jones’ declaration of love for the people of Jonestown and several reminders of how he shows it: “I show it in my judgment, my compassion, my mercy as I give resolutions to people’s problems.”

Later in the tape, at the end of Part 4, Jones reminds the community that “[g]uests are coming today.” While Jones has warned his followers on other occasions that arriving visitors may include spies, mercenaries, and infiltrators from the enemy camp, he does not do so here. But he does urge people to take precautions. Teachers are to warn their students about “[n]o talking of killing capitalists or killing anyone.” Further, as everyone prepares their quarters for Guyana government works to spray for mosquitoes, Jones asks them to be sure that “no revolutionary material [is] laying around or anything else that could cause embarrassment.” It is a word that Jones does not often use in describing his beliefs.

Part 5 begins with a request that everyone who met with the visitors to report to the radio room. Even in the context of the tape, it is uncertain whether Jones is upset or pleased with what happened. He begins the section by saying the guests were “impressed with the facilities,” and before turning to the news, comments that “We want to properly reward and designate those who were” in the pavilion. In between the two praises, though, he says, “If you do not report in to the radio room, we will assume that you were responsible for the display,” and adds “We will of course know from each other those who [you] were.”

The balance of the tape consists of news. Among the subjects covered:

The final part also includes a long discussion of the rise of neo-Fascism, especially in Europe but with its manifestations in the US as well.

FBI Summary:

Date of transcription: 6/8/79

In connection with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s investigation into the assassination of U.S. Congressman LEO J. RYAN at Port Kaituma, Guyana, South America, on November 18, 1978, a tape recording was obtained. This tape recording was located in Jonestown, Guyana, South America, and was turned over to U.S. Officials in Guyana and subsequently transported to the United States.

On May 26, 1979, Special Agent (name deleted) reviewed the tape numbered 1B69-22. This tape was found to contain the following:

JIM JONES with news and commentary followed by announcements. JONES makes the statement, “We are armed,” we believe in armed defense and resistance”, “we ask comrade STEVEN and others to form their guerilla activist group in guerilla training and strategy … we should learn all phases of guerilla training and discipline.”

This is followed by a question and answer session on the news followed by more announcements in which JONESS states, “Teachers, tell your kids not to speak of killing capitalists.”

Differences with FBI Summary:

The summary is accurate and meets the FBI’s purposes.

Tape originally posted June 2010