A few weeks ago an officer in the naval reserve was attending a
conference that included admirals in both
the US and the French navies. At a cocktail reception,he
found himself in a small group that included an admiral from each
of the two navies.

The French admiral started complaining that whereas Europeans
learned many languages, Americans only learned English. He then
asked. "Why is it that we have to speak English in these
conferences rather than you have to speak French?"

Without even hesitating, the American admiral replied. "Maybe it
is because we arranged it so that you did not have to learn to
speak German." The group became silent.