An officer in the British Naval reserve was attending a conference that included admirals from both the British Navy and the French navy. At a cocktail reception, he found himself in a small group that included personnel from both navies. The French admiral started complaining that whereas nearly all Europeans learned many languages, The British spoke only English.
He then asked: "Why is it that we have to speak English in these conferences rather than you speak French?"
Without hesitating, the British Admiral replied: "Maybe it's because we arranged it so you did not have to speak German."
