"A friend of mine is an officer in the naval reserve. A few
weeks ago, he was attending a conference that included Admirals
from the US Navy and the French Navy. At a cocktail reception, my
friend found himself in a small group that included an Admiral from
each of the two Navies. The French Admiral started complaining that
where as Europeans learn many languages, Americans only learn English.
He then asked. 'Why is it that we have to speak English in these
conferences rather than have you speak French?'
Without even hesitating, the American Admiral replied to the French
Admiral's complaint. 'Maybe it is because we arranged it so that
you did not have to learn to speak German.'
The group became silent . . . . ." |
