[Editor’s note: This document was released both as a State Department cable as part of its 1981 FOIA release, and as Serial 773 of the FBI’s RYMUR release.
[The text for this document was released in 2014 by the now-defunct Wikileaks website at https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1978GEORGE04110_d.html.]
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 01
GEORGE 04110 060524Z
ACTION ARA-15
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 H-02 SS-15 SY-05 CIAE-00 INR-10
NSAE-00 CA-01 MCT-02 SCS-06 PA-02 AID-05 SSO-00
SYE-00 NSCE-00 USSS-00 INRE-00 TRSE-00 FBIE-00
JUSE-00 DODE-00 /064 W
——————025610 060530Z /21
O 051620Z DEC 78
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC NIACT IMMEDIATE 8336
UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 4110
E.O. 12065: NA
TAGS: CASC, GY (PEOPLE’S TEMPLE)
SUBJ: JONESTOWN GUEST BOOK
AMONG THE EFFECTS COLLECTED BY CONSULAR OFFICERS AT JONESTOWN IS THE GUEST BOOK COVERING A PERIOD FROM MID- AUGUST UNITL [UNTIL] MID-NOVEMBER. THE BOOK CONTAINS THE NAMES OF 98 VISITORS TO JONESTOWN WHO SIGNED THE GUEST BOOK. THE COMPOSITION OF THE GROUP OF VISITORS IS MIXED: SOME AMERICANS, SOME GUYANESE, AND SOME THIRD COUNTRY DIPLOMATS. MOST OF THE GUESTS GAVE SOME BRIEF REMARKS IN A COLUMN DEDICATED TO THE PUPOSE [PURPOSE] ON EACH PAGE.
SOME OF THE MORE SIGNIFICANT ENTRIES THAT APPEARED ARE:
8/21/78 – SOMEONE FROM RADIO DEMERARA, SOMEONE FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF GUYANA, THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE GUYANA CHRONICLE, AND THE CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE GUYANA CHRONICLE.
9/13/78 – CHARLES GARRY, PEOPLE’ TEMPLE LAWYER FROM SAN FRANCISCO AND JOSEPH MAZOR, A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR FROM CALIFORNIA.
9/17/78 – MARK LANE, AN ATTORNEY FROM THE THE UNITED STATES
9/21/78 – SOMEONE FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH, GOG [GOVERNMENT OF GUYANA]
10/1/78 – TWO SOVIET DIPLOMATS FROM THEIR EMBASSY IN GEORGETOWN
10/5/78 – MARGARET ACKMAN, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, GOG
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XEROX COPIES OF THE GUEST BOOK WILL BE MADE AND POUCHED SEPARATELY. THIS BOOK IS SIMPLY ONE MORE INDICATION THAT MANY VISITORS, OF VARIOUS NATIONALITIES, PRACTICING VARIOUS PROFESSIONS, VISITED THE PEOPLE’S TEMPLE AGRICULTURAL PROJECT. IN FACT, CONSIDERING THAT ALMOST 100 PEOPLE VISITED IN 3 MONTHS, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE COMMUNITY WAS KEPT QUITE BUSY RECEIVING VISITORS.
BURKE [JOHN BURKE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO GUYANA]
UNCLASSIFIED