DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
COMMUNICATION MESSAGE FORM
DATE: 1/19/79
CLASSIFICATION: UNCLAS
PRECEDENCE: PRIORITY
FM DIRECTOR FBI
TO FBI SAN FRANCISCO PRIORITY
BT
UNCLAS
RYMUR.
By teletype dated January 17, 1979, Secretary of State, Washington, D.C., advised that copying of four crates of tape recordings obtained by United States Counsul [Consul] from Jonestown should be completed by February 2. If questions arise in delays in copying these tapes it should be noted that:
(A) Copying has been delayed because of significant deterioration of tape caused by hot, humid storage conditions at Jonestown which prevents originals from being copied at high speed.
(B) FBI has been able to significantly enhance quality of copies through technical processes. Thus, copies are cleaner than originals.
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(C) Further storage of original recordings in hot and/or humid conditions can cause significant additional deterioration of original recordings.
For the above reasons, we may ultimately wish to propose to GOG [Government of Guyana] that we store all original tape recordings at climate controlled facility in Washington area, provide the GOG with copies of all tapes for investigative use, and provide with originals of tapes as needed in connection with court proceedings in Guyana.
FBI has reiterated its invitation to GOG to send a GOG police official to United States to work with FBI in connection with copying of several crates of tape recordings now in possession of GOG.
Please advise us as soon as possible of status of negotiations with GOG on above seven crates of tapes.
Copying of documents has been delayed because of the need to sort them by subject matter and to number each one prior to copying them. We have no firm estimate on when copying of documents will be completed.
BT
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