Q209 Summary

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

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FBI Catalogue           Jones Speaking

FBI preliminary tape identification note: Labeled in part “Aug 30 News”

Date cues on tape:     News items consistent with date on tape identification note

People named:
Public figures/National and international names:

Bible verses cited:      None

Summary:

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

Jim Jones reads the news of 30 August 1978. Among the news items he spends a little time with:

While Jones quotes periodically from the BBC, the Voice of Netherlands and even the Voice of America, the wire service he uses the most is Tass, the Soviet news agency. Some of the perspectives have an even greater pro-Soviet tilt than other newscasts of the period, especially as they relate to coverage of Chinese attempts to become a world power, and the tilt seems to derive from both the wire service reports and Jones’ editorial interpretations.

“We say we’re not pro-Soviet or pro-Chinese,” Jones tells his followers early in the broadcast. “We say that the Soviets are fearful of Chinese expansionist aims in Europe. You understand? Chinese expansionist aims in Europe.” After detailing some of the “expansionist” plans – which includes China’s separate treaties with Eastern Bloc nations – Jones quotes a news source as saying, “China is a threat to word peace. She is cleverly and cunningly dividing the Soviet alliance, she has cleverly divided the US alliances in NATO, and is distinctly on the ascendancy as the major world power. And she holds no fear, the fear of nuclear war has no meaning to China whatsoever, said the Voice of Holland. It will mean that the Cold War will get the chilliest ever.”

Some of the other commentary is undoubtedly Jones’, though, most of it spontaneous. After pointing out that the tornado in Memphis “confined itself only to the fast food services, the quick service restaurants,” for example, Jones adds, “I think that there’s a dimension of mind – we’ve talked so much about McDonald’s – I wonder, by God, if maybe McDonald’s didn’t catch a little heat.” Returning the subject later, he points out that much of the tornado’s damage occurred along Elvis Presley Boulevard, and reminds the people of Jonestown that “the late Elvis Presley … was both a CIA and an FBI agent.”

Elsewhere, after describing the effects of the proposed Briggs proposition on the California ballot to ban homosexuals from teaching in public schools – and reading how Briggs himself interprets the potential impact of the measure – Jones offers his own reaction: “That’s a nice climate, isn’t it? Lovely climate in USA.”

Read less as a news item and more of an announcement, Jones tells of the death of Jack Lira, Harvey Milk’s longtime companion. Jones speaks about the support that Milk has given to Peoples Temple, and assigns one of the community leaders to organize an effort to send sympathy notes and cards. “We want to send a lot of letters,” Jones says.

Much of the first half of the tape is not devoted to news, though, but rather to a means to hammer into Jonestown residents some basic information about their political patrons in Guyana’s government. While the details of the incident leading to this demand are unclear, it is apparent that Jones and his staff have somehow been embarrassed by the general population’s lack of knowledge, and that the incident is fresh in their minds. Who is the leader of Guyana (and Jonestown’s patron)? What is his – and hence, Jonestown’s – political party? What is the opposition party? Why don’t we like it? What is the Doctrine of Three Worlds? The questions and answers are repeated several times, followed by a notice that everyone – including children – will be asked these questions in the food line that night, and that people who don’t know the right answers will be sent to the back of the line to try again. “That is it,” one unidentified Jonestown leader says. “You’re going to have to know one and possible all of these questions to order to get your dinner.”

FBI Summary:

Date of transcription: 6/11/79

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 28, 1979, Special Agent (name deleted) reviewed the tape numbered 1B69-33. This tape was found to contain the following:

News and commentary by JIM JONES. News items included topics such as:

1. West Germany
2. Hydrogen vehicles
3. Chinese Prime Minister HUA
4. U.S. trade deficit
5. Rhodesia

The news was interrupted and JONES stated that people would have to pass a quiz before being allowed in the food line. The news then continued which included topics such as:

6. Spinks ‑ Ali fight
7. CARTER
8.  Senator KENNEDY
9. Korea

Differences with FBI Summary:

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

Tape originally posted April 2008