German and American fleet imbalances before the First World War

What would balanced fleets for the major powers look like before the First World War?

Most major fleets are judged fairly balanced. Germany's weak cruiser force and American gaps in destroyer and later cruiser procurement are the main exceptions.

Germany's investment in battleships and battlecruisers is criticised for leaving an ageing cruiser force in the middle of the fleet. The American pattern is described as repeated congressional support for battleships, intermittent support for cruisers and inadequate attention to destroyers. Wartime demand then produces the large Wickes and Clemson programmes. After the war, the shortage shifts towards cruisers in this interpretation, with too few modern Omahas for extensive patrol requirements. A further interpretation connects earlier American cruiser funding with hopes that some cruisers could serve as cheaper substitutes for battleships. The ship name attached to that last example remains uncertain.