How 9.2-inch Hawkins cruisers reshape treaty limits

How would 9.2-inch-gunned Hawkins cruisers change the interwar naval treaty system?

They could push the cruiser ceiling toward 15,000 tons and 10-inch guns, while Britain might keep 9.2-inch weapons for a more balanced design.

The more treaty-relevant precedent is the Hawkins class rather than an earlier Invincible preliminary. A 9.2-inch Hawkins is estimated at roughly 15,000 tons with about ten guns in twin turrets. Existing ships of that scale would give British negotiators a strong reason to protect a 15,000-ton cruiser category. Other powers could then press for a round 10-inch maximum gun calibre. Britain might retain 9.2-inch weapons because they permit a better-balanced ship within the enlarged limit, producing a very different interwar cruiser race.