Imported machinery constrained treaty deception

Hull dimensions and draft were already difficult to conceal during foreign port visits. When British firms also knew the output and weight of Parsons turbines and Yarrow or Thornycroft boilers supplied directly or built under licence, declared speed and displacement could be checked against engineering reality. Foreign observers could combine machinery data with a ship's visible dimensions and required berth depth to identify implausible claims. This industrial dependence limited Italy's ability to hide larger, better-protected cruisers.