Not too long ago, at a NATO naval conference, an American admiral found himself standing at a cocktail reception with high-ranking naval officers from most of the NATO countries, including English, Canadian, and American command-grade and flag-grade officers. Everyone in the group (regardless of nationality) was chatting away in English, but a French officer in the group suddenly voiced a complaint.
"Whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English." He then asked, "Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?"
The American admiral didn't miss a beat. "Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German."
End of conversation.
