The Guardian: worthwhile policy or simply propaganda?
“Or take Shell. It suffered a series of public relations disasters in the mid-90s”
In the second half of his report about corporate social responsibility, Nic Paton looks into the deep credibility gap behind all those fine words
Saturday July 17, 2004
Fortune magazine voted it “the most innovative company in America” six years running, it was consistently high in the lists of “best company to work for”, it spent millions on literacy and community projects and was a pioneer of renewable, wind turbine technology.
It was, of course, Enron, now far better known for its corporate and financial mismanagement, its culture of secrecy and deceit, close ties to US politicians and alleged human rights abuses by subsidiaries in India.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
MORE DETAILS:
A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
