ON Oct 28, 1914, the waters of Penang saw a tragic episode of World War I. Making full use of security failures, the German cruiser Emden launched a daring attack and sank the Russian cruiser Zhemchug, and subsequently the French destroyer Mousquet, which attempted to intervene.
If historians still discuss the lessons of the first and second world wars, there is one that we, as ambassadors of Germany and France, bear witness to every day: The historic reconciliation between our two countries, which stands as a testament to the possibility of overcoming even the most bitter oppositions.