[Editor’s note: The text for this document was released in 2014 by the now-defunct Wikileaks website at https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1978STATE300237_d.html.]
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 01
STATE 300237
ORIGIN SS-15
INFO OCT-01 ARA-15 ISO-00 L-03 SCS-06 HEW-06 INR-10 SSO-00 INRE-00 /056 R
DRAFTED BY D:MEBARNES:MS
APPROVED BY D:MARSHA E. BARNES
ARA/CAR:RMCCOY (SUBS)
L/M:KEMALMBORG
SCS:SADOBRENCHUK (INFO)
S/S-O: TRREYNDERS
——————099869 272220Z /73
O 272140Z NOV 78
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN IMMEDIATE
UNCLAS STATE 300237
E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: CASC, GY
SUBJECT: POSSIBLE CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE PEOPLES TEMPLE
1. HEW SECRETARY CALIFANO CONTACTED DEPUTY SECRETARY CONCERNING LETTER HE IS ALLEGED TO HAVE WRITTEN IN PRAISE OF THE PEOPLES TEMPLE. A THOROUGH SEARCH OF THE SECRETARY’S FILES HAS FAILED TO REVEAL ANY SUCH LETTER. DEPARTMENT HAS COPY OF COMPENDIUM PREPARED BY PEOPLES TEMPLE, “STATEMENTS ABOUT REV. JIM JONES AND THE PEOPLES TEMPLE,” WHICH CONTAINS A STATEMENT ATTRIBUTED TO CALIFANO.
2. ACTION REQUESTED. EMBASSY SHOULD DETERMINE WHETHER PEOPLES TEMPLE MADE AVAILABLE TO GOG ACTUAL LETTERS FROM SECRETARY CALIFANO AND OTHER PROMINENT AMERICANS OR MERELY THE COMPENDIUM. IF LETTERS MADE AVAILABLE, EMBASSY SHOULD SEEK TO OBTAIN COPIES OF ALLEGED CALIFANO LETTER AND OTHERS
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FROM GOG. RESULTS OF INQUIRY SHOULD BE FORWARDED ASAP.
3. IF THE EMBASSY COMES ACROSS COPIES OF LAUDATORY LETTERS FROM PROMINENT AMERICANS IN TEMPLE PAPERS, COPIES SHOULD BE MADE AND POUCHED TO ARA/CAR.
CHRISTOPHER [Deputy Secretary of State Warren Christopher]
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