FBI Airtel
Date 4/18/79
TO: DIRECTOR, FBI (89-4286)
FROM: SAC, SAN FRANCISCO (89-250) (P) SQ. 10
SUBJECT: COMMUNIST PARTY, USA (CP USA)
FCI – R CI
00: NEW YORK
RYMUR
Re Director airtel to San Francisco, entitled RYMUR, dated 3/27/79; San Francisco teletype to Director, dated 12/28/78, entitled CPUSA – INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; San Francisco airtel to Director, entitled CPUSA – NCD, dated 7/21/78.
All paragraphs are Confidential, unless otherwise indicated.
On [several words deleted] – OA advised as follows:
At [words deleted] meeting of [line deleted] Communist Party of the USA, the relationship between the CPUSA and the People’s Temple (PT) was discussed.
[Page 2]
SF 89-250
RTH: jmr
SECRET
[line deleted] that the CP relationship with the PT needed examination. [Words deleted] that the CP is still small and “hungry” for linkage to the masses – so much so that an ill-advised liaison with the PT was created by [names deleted] who are CPUSA and American Russian Institute members (ARI).
[Name deleted] that members of the PT had asked him to bring a Soviet delegation to the PT. [Name deleted] said that he could not refuse the request. [Name deleted] stated that he had no contact with Jim Jones but dealt with PT members. [Several words deleted] that their Utopian Guyana venture was “doomed” like all such ventures.
[Several words deleted] that the PT contact was not so much with the CPUSA as with the ARI. [Name deleted] that the lily white ARI must break down barriers to the minority communities.
[Several words deleted] that the CPUSA leadership should have provided more leadership to the rank and file members regarding how to deal with groups like the PT who seek an alliance with the PT.
As has been previously reported, on 3/7/79, [2 lines deleted] a CPUSA member in charge of the educational department at the ARI regarding Soviet contacts with the PT.
[Page 3]
SF 89-250
RTH: jmr
SECRET
The above asset on 4/4/79, advised that [several words deleted] there was no formal relationship between the CPUSA and the PT. However, individual ARI, CPUSA and PT members were friends.
These CPUSA and ARI members did attend several PT functions in San Francisco and appeared to be instrumental in arranging for the visit of [line deleted] to some PT functions. These individuals were probably responsible for arranging for a few PT members to be invited to the Soviet Consulate October Revolution celebration in November, 1978.
In spite of the efforts of these individuals, asset was of the opinion that the Northern California District of the CPUSA never really got into position of supporting the PT.