Article 2 trades old capital ships for lower costs

Article 2 turns the general limits into a disposal list for the United States, Britain, and Japan. The American list is Florida, Utah, and either Arkansas or Wyoming; Britain names Benbow, Iron Duke, Marlborough, Emperor of India, and Tiger; Japan names Hiei. Benbow and Emperor of India are singled out as slow, mechanically inefficient, manpower-hungry ships already nearing scheduled replacement. Discarding them removed expensive ships with declining military value. Britain was also entering recession before the Wall Street crash and faced overdue spending on roads, railways, ports, and airports deferred by the First World War. For Britain, the treaty concession suited both naval priorities and domestic investment needs.