A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval
conference that included Admirals from the U.S. , English, Canadian,
Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself
standing with a large group of officers that included personnel from most of
those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their
drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained - "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?" Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied "Maybe it's because
the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have
to speak German."
You could have heard a pin drop.