Q294 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 “9-14-78 News”

Date cues on tape:     Contents of tape consistent with label

People named:

Bible verses cited: None

Summary:

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

Jim Jones reads the news for September 14, 1978.

The last half of the reading consists of a lengthy article on efforts of the Chinese government to bolster relations with leftist governments throughout the Americas – Venezuela, Mexico, even Canada – and to encroach upon Soviet client states such as Romania and Yugoslavia. The article also includes an analysis on the impact of those efforts on Sino-Soviet relations.

Jones also spends some time on a longer piece on initiatives to bring political stability to Southern Africa, including UN proposals to place peace-keeping troops in Namibia, and the negotiations between Angola and Zaire to settle border disputes.

But most of the reading consists of rapid-fire news items which Jones repeats from an ongoing radio broadcast, virtually in real time. The repetition of the news channel playing indistinctly behind him means that he has fewer opportunities to insert lengthy editorial comments.

He makes only passing denigrating references to Christianity, for example, in part because another newscast is playing in the background. Following a news story about fighting in Lebanon, Jones informs his listeners that “[t]he Christians in Lebanon are the minority. The Muslims are the vast majority. So, it’s only a matter of time until Christianity is put in its rightful place.” Later, on an item about a Catholic priest deciding to become an Anglican in part so that he can marry, Jones points out that the Anglican Church was founded by Henry VIII only because he wanted to remarry, which leads Jones to conclude “all religion is founded in vomit.”

But the omission of commentary is not complete, as evidenced in Jones’ expressions of his lifelong worry about nuclear war. While it was likely not included in the original article on China, he does highlight his understanding of China policy that, since nuclear war is inevitable, the world should get it over with so that the survivors can begin to rebuild. He also concludes his reading of the article by reminding the people of Jonestown that “[w]e’re in the only place that would not be affected by nuclear war.”

There are only a couple of asides unrelated to the news. At one point, he says that former “conspirator” Joe Mazor had documented proof that Tim Stoen and the rest of the “vicious” relatives “that you think are so good and so noble” were planning “to fire rockets, after our lights were off, into our camps and cause confusion. And didn’t make any difference how many they got back. If they got some killed, okay. They just wanted to show that they could overcome Jonestown.”

At another point, he reports that Mark Lane is coming to Jonestown, and – as he urged whenever guests are due to arrive – he implores everyone to clean up the camp. In addition, he implores everyone to produce to their full capacity – a call which has become routine in its daily reiteration – so that the community can grow and they can bring in more Temple members. At the tape’s end, he urges people to study their Russian, because “believe me, it’s worthwhile to learn that language. That language will be valuable to you. If we never went there, it will be valuable to you, because you could get jobs anywhere in the world.”

Among the other items he covers from the news:

FBI Summary:

Date of transcription: 6/13/79

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 31, 1979, Special Agent (name deleted) reviewed the tape numbered 1B93-39. This tape was found to contain the following:

A politicized reading and commentary on the news by JAMES JONES.

Differences with FBI Summary:

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

Tape originally posted March 2017.