The United States does not want Britain to possess extra capital ships through dominion fleets outside treaty totals. Australia and New Zealand could interpret demands to remove those ships as an attempt to strip away their strongest independent defense. Both positions are internally logical, yet each side's precaution appears aggressive to the other. An earlier Russian threat had helped drive Australian federation and naval organization, but the Soviet Union is not the immediate danger in this 1920s dispute.
Notable Point · 2:07:33-2:11:14
Australian capital ships create a Pacific security dilemma
American efforts to count or remove dominion capital ships look defensive in Washington but threatening in Australia and New Zealand.