[Editor’s note: Likely in an effort to save paper, Temple members often used the reverse side of old documents. That is the case here, and the reverse side of the single page on this memo was not transcribed.]
G-1-g-30a
RUSSIANS 25, 2/78 [February 25, 1978] (with Marcie [Marceline Jones], Terri Buford, Tim [Carter], Diane [several possibilities from Jonestown; could be code], Sharon [Amos]
– Marcie told something of her background with JJ and how he went thru the McCarthy age and was under attack, his use of religion to bring people out of religion, he work[ed] always for minorities, his stand for political prisoners like Angela Davis
– he asked what kind of church we were, she explained about Disciples and the autonomy but how he always stood for socialism etc.
– he asked what our plans were in Guyana, were we going to branch out etc.
– we said we wanted to integrate in the society but it depended how things went and if we were encouraged to be of assistance, we were glad to help in any way we can
– he wondered what our plans were in America, if some of us were going to go back or what (we had asked him about how he thought the Govt. of Guyana was going or some such thing and he said that he didn’t feel free to answer because of his diplomatic position but he could talk more freely in Jonestown with JJ in that kind of environment)
– we said we understood and in regard to the question of our future in the US, it would be better for him to talk to JJ in Jonestown and JJ could explain it to him
– we asked about the Russian Film Crew/ he said that they were pretty much tied up with Guyana, filming Guyana and he had heard from the Ministry of Information that PT wasn’t to be publicized too much, he said he had heard on some level of the govt. that US had said that aid from the US depended on PT not being too active (or seen as too active) in Guyana
– he said he thought we were seen as an embarrassment to the US because of the claim the US has of human rights but he said of course the US never starts with it’s [its] own situation improving human rights in the US. A group (interracial) who has to go to another country for better conditions is an embarrassment to the US (and the material we gave him – the conspiracy etc. – indicates that there was persecution in the US against this interracial group that is socialist) [Handwritten marginal note: “*key issue: If it ever came to it, we could say we left because we didn’t get H.R. – bargaining issue”]
– Marcie said that she had read the article in the New Times (I told her about the problem that we had had when I went to talk to him about the New Times and how I goofed and told him the name of the Magazine) but I guess I didn’t make it clear enough because she told him the month of the article (October) and said it was a very bad article
– he said he had tried to find it but hadn’t but he’d need the number of it to find it
– he said he definitely did want to come and visit
G-1-g-30b [Reverse side of G-1-g-30a, not transcribed]