Actually, he did, just like the women who ask the pope not to get involved in birth control issues: If you don't play the game don't make the rules.

The American admiral was telling the French one exactly that. There is a widespread perception that the French showed their bellies far too early in WW II and thus they lost a lot of clout on the world scene, including the clout to insist that nationals of other countries learn to speak French, which at one time was THE language of diplomacy. Why else the term "lingua franca?"




TEd