{"id":28082,"date":"2013-06-16T00:18:17","date_gmt":"2013-06-16T00:18:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alternativejonestown.com\/?page_id=28082"},"modified":"2016-02-25T23:26:40","modified_gmt":"2016-02-25T23:26:40","slug":"211-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/?page_id=28082","title":{"rendered":"Q211 Summary"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary prepared by Fielding M. McGehee III. If you use this material, please credit The Jonestown Institute. Thank you.<\/strong><\/i><\/p>\n

To read the Tape Transcript, click here<\/a>. To listen to MP3, click here<\/a>.
\nTo return to the Tape Index, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

FBI Catalogue: <\/strong>Jones Speaking
\nFBI preliminary tape identification note: <\/strong>Labeled in part \u201cNews Oct. 23, 1978\u201d
\n\u00a0<\/strong>
\nDate cues on tape:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 October 24, 1978 (14th anniversary of Zambian independence)<\/p>\n

People named:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Public figures\/National and international names:<\/em>
\nAttila the Hun
\nAdolf Hitler<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

President Jimmy Carter<\/p>\n

Anastasio Somoza, President of Nicaragua<\/p>\n

Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran
\nTakeo Fukuda, Japanese Prime Minister
\nTeng Hsiao-Ping, Chinese Prime Minister<\/p>\n

Reverend Ralph Abernathy, civil rights activist<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Temple members not on death or survivors\u2019 lists:<\/em>
\nMary Anita<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jonestown residents:<\/em>
\nJames Baisy
\nMary Griffith
\nAva Inghram
\nRicky Johnson
\nMike Prokes (speaks)<\/b>
\nTeri Smart
\nBobby Stroud
\nJoyce Touchette<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bible verses cited:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 None<\/p>\n

Summary:<\/strong><\/p>\n

(Note: <\/strong>This tape was transcribed by Vicki Perry. The editors gratefully acknowledge her invaluable assistance.)<\/i><\/p>\n

Jim Jones reads the news of 24 October 1978. Among the stories he spends some time with:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Sandinista insurrection in Nicaragua
\n\u2022 American corporate perspectives on worker safety and OSHA
\n\u2022 Iranian release of prisoners, even as the Shah\u2019s opponents claims additional murders
\n\u2022 Zambian independence day
\n\u2022 German corporations expanding commercial ties with South Africa
\n\u2022 Conditions for workers in South African mines
\n\u2022 Friendship treaty between Japan and China, and the Soviet response to it<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

As with most of these newscasts, Jones relies upon Soviet, Eastern Bloc and Third World news sources, most of which are predisposed to presenting American interests in an unfavorable light (the pro-Soviet tilt is also evident in the news coverage of the Sino-Japanese pact, which caused concern in Moscow). Reinforcing this slant, Jones adds some of his own editorial comments, most them in a casual, offhand manner. After describing US military intervention on numerous occasions over the years against elected governments in Nicaragua, for example, he pauses and adds, \u201cYou can tell the way people play abroad, the way they\u2019re going to play at home.\u201d<\/p>\n

At other places, however, Jones makes larger connections between a news story and a concern or lesson in Jonestown. The context of the discussion about worker safety and occupational health in the US was a report published the previous week about carcinogens in the workplace, to which Jones adds, \u201cThat\u2019s why we should be thrilled to be here. There\u2019s nothing here that causes cancer. Clean air, pure air, free trade winds blowing constantly, no debris, no smog,\u201d then appends his coda, \u201cand yet some gripe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jones slurs many of his words \u2013 whether due to exhaustion or drugs is unknown \u2013 but in between news items returns to several problems in the Jonestown community which are on his mind. The tape begins, for example, with warnings about dangers in the jungle which await those who attempt to escape through it. The issue of runaways recurs several times, including his implicit authorization for security to take appropriate measures to stop them: \u201cI am calling heretofore an increased staff of security\u2026 I mean business. If it\u2019s in the legs, fine. If not, the government will understand. We\u2019re not going to have any more of this damned foolishness.\u201d<\/p>\n

If the attempted escapes have preyed on Jones\u2019 mind, so has the productivity of the workforce. One of the refrains of the community\u2019s last months was to work harder, and this tape includes an exhortation to do so as well. \u201c[P]lease let\u2019s do much production. Show me that you can work\u2026 Show me you can work in eight hours what you could ordinarily do in ten hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also invites residents to make use of the suggestion box, but the message of what types of criticisms will be tolerated is a mixed one. \u201cSome of the best ideas in the last few weeks, two weeks, you\u2019ve heard me give credit to the names,\u201d he says immediately after warning, \u201cI don\u2019t mean criticism of the group but from me or any other thing.\u201d A moment later, he adds, \u201cIt better be a legitimate honest complaint instead of some kind of manipulation or a conning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jones is also preoccupied with the impending arrival of several guests from the Soviet Union, with which the Jonestown community is negotiating for emigration. \u201cI\u2019m not going to give you so much news because I want tomorrow, that you listen very closely on how to greet strangers.\u201d He calls several times for people to put their houses, their possessions, and the common areas \u201cin neat and very strict order.\u201d He reiterates this message as the tape ends: \u201cWe want this place in absolute order because the ambassador said that\u2019s what would be the thing that would impress the leaders of the Soviet Union who are coming here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even though this tape was made about three weeks before the mass deaths, Jones puts the report of dissatisfaction in the community \u2013 manifesting itself in escape attempts and disciplinary measures \u2013\u00a0in the context of suicide. But as opposed to its glorification, as occurs at numerous nighttime meetings from this period, Jones argues strongly against it, and presents several reasons why \u201cthe socialist\u201d wouldn\u2019t consider it. Suicide sets your own evolution back \u201c500 generations,\u201d he says. Besides, you won\u2019t die and your mind will continue, so there\u2019s no point in it. But the most \u201cterrible thing\u201d \u2013 a word he uses twice to describe it \u2013 is \u201cto leave a vacuum for your children.\u201d<\/p>\n

FBI Summary:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Date of transcription: 6\/5\/79<\/p>\n

In connection with the Federal Bureau of Investigation\u2019s investigation into the assassination of U.S. Congressman LEO J. RYAN at Port Kaituma, Guyana, South America, on November 18, 1978, a tape recording was obtained. This tape recording was located in Jonestown, Guyana, South America, and was turned over to U.S. Officials in Guyana and subsequently transported to the United States.<\/p>\n

On May 28, 1979, Special Agent (name deleted) reviewed the tape numbered 1B69-37. This tape was found to contain the following:<\/p>\n

The tape consisted of three general areas:<\/p>\n

1. News and commentary by JIM JONES. News Items included topics such as:<\/p>\n

a. Cancer
\nb. OSHA
\nc. Rhodesia<\/p>\n

2. Unidentified male individual discussing healing powers of Dad<\/p>\n

3. An announcement by JIM JONES re Soviet visitors<\/p>\n

Differences with FBI Summary:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The summary is accurate and meets the FBI\u2019s purposes.<\/p>\n

Tape originally posted March 2008<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary prepared by Fielding M. McGehee III. If you use this material, please credit The Jonestown Institute. Thank you. To read the Tape Transcript, click here. To listen to MP3, click here. To return to the Tape Index, click here. FBI Catalogue: Jones Speaking FBI preliminary tape identification note: Labeled in part \u201cNews Oct. 23, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":27996,"menu_order":79,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-28082","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/28082","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28082"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/28082\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66410,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/28082\/revisions\/66410"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27996"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28082"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}