Day 068 - 16 Dec 94 - Page 30


     
     1        not know that I have heard more than about two questions
     2        directed to any issue in this case.  For example, the
     3        evidence of Mr. Gomez Gonzales has been that McDonald's in
     4        the United States does not use any beef imported from any
     5        area outside the continental boundaries of the USA, that
     6        they take meat from slaughterhouses within the USA.  If
     7        that assertion be challenged, then it must be put to
     8        Dr. Gomez Gonzales by Mr. Morris that it is wrong and the
     9        reasons why it is wrong.  That is the proper way to conduct
    10        cross-examination.
    11
    12   MR. MORRIS:  I beg to differ.  It is up to me whether I put
    13        certain questions.
    14
    15   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  No.
    16
    17   MR. MORRIS:  I do not tell Mr. Rampton -----
    18
    19   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  That is where you are wrong.  At the end of
    20        the day, it is up to me.  We have had a discussion like
    21        this before.  You may wish the truth to come out -- I do
    22        not doubt that -- but you have to focus on getting your
    23        case out to me.
    24
    25   MR. MORRIS:  I believe in my case very strongly, but I am trying
    26        to explore the truth, because I believe the truth will
    27         -----
    28
    29   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Direct yourself to the matters which you are
    30        hoping at the end of the day to establish.
    31
    32   MR. MORRIS (To the witness):  To sum up:  in Costa Rica, have
    33        McDonald's used beef reared on recently deforested
    34        rainforest areas, in your opinion?
    35        A.  No, they have not.
    36
    37   Q.   They have not.  How would you define "recent"?
    38        A.  Recently deforested?
    39
    40   Q.   Yes.
    41        A.  That is a term that we have used; and Ray Cesca, as
    42        I said before, is the one who gives me the direction as to
    43        whether or not we should use that particular supplier or
    44        area.
    45
    46   Q.   Yes.
    47        A.  He can give you a better definition, because it is an
    48        internal McDonald's definition.  As far as I can remember,
    49        I can understand the question is as far as we have been
    50        there, at least.  If we open Costa Rica, we open Costa 
    51        Rica, the first restaurant, 20 years ago, that would be a 
    52        measure as to whether it is recent or not recent.  The 
    53        intent, when we mention that, is so we do not want to have
    54        an effect on the rainforests.  So that is why we said
    55        recently, by "recently" meaning that we do not directly
    56        relate it to deforestation of any rainforest in the world.
    57
    58   Q.   So are you saying that the company has no time-scale
    59        definition for the word "recent" when it says:  "We will
    60        not use beef from recently deforested rainforest land";

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