Day 003 - 30 Jun 94 - Page 46


     
     1        countries of the world where McDonald's trades - Canada,
              the US, Portugal, France, several of the Scandinavian
     2        countries; the leaflet itself had been attached to a
              church bulletin, distributed in a House of God; it was
     3        distributed by an organisation called Veggies I believe
              against whom we had an action, which initially had begun
     4        as something very small had suddenly blossomed into a lot
              of untruths being spread around the whole world damaging
     5        McDonald's.
 
     6   Q.   Do you know whether children had been told about these
              allegations?
     7        A.  It had found its way into schools as well.
 
     8   Q.   What about what I have called the mainstream media.  Did
              they at this stage seem to have heard these allegations?
     9        A.  There were articles over time on an increasing basis
              appearing in newspapers, and occasionally radio.
    10
         Q.   So can you tell me, or tell his Lordship rather, what it
    11        was, given the background to it which you just have, about
              the allegations in the leaflet which prompted you to take
    12        it perhaps rather more seriously than you had before?
              A.  Well, first of all, what I just mentioned they were
    13        finding their way everywhere.
 
    14   Q.   Why did it matter?
              A.  They are not true.  There is not a thing in that
    15        document which is true, not one single solitary thing;
              that is damaging to my reputation, it is damaging to the
    16        reputation of the entire system, its licensees who have
              made an investment in their communities who employ
    17        individuals, it is damaging to our suppliers, who service
              the organisation.  I take the comments across the top of
    18        the leaflet to call me a murderer, to call me a killer, to
              call me a liar.  I take great offence to that.  My
    19        employees told me the same thing.  I got calls from
              licensees through the system.  I was communicated with by
    20        many of the management people from the countries we trade
              in, "What is this?  Can we not stop it?  These are not
    21        true.  You are damaging our business".  Action simply had
              to be taken.
    22
         Q.   As a consequence of that decision in the light of those
    23        considerations, Mr. Preston, you instructed solicitors in
              September 1990 to write to -- there were five of them at
    24        that time -- the five members of the group, Greenpeace
              London Group, that had been identified as being
    25        responsible for this leaflet?
              A.  That is correct. 
    26 
         Q.   My Lord, the reference is pink bundle 2 tab 13.  In that 
    27        letter -- I do not ask you to look at it now; I will tell
              you what it says -- Mr. Preston, you enclosed a writ and
    28        you said, "But if you will apologise, give an undertaking
              to the court not to repeat these allegations and pay the
    29        costs so far incurred, then that will be the end of the
              matter".  Do you remember that?
    30        A.  Yes.
 

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