A cruiser-leader category invites rapid counterbuilding

What if a naval treaty allowed an 8,500-ton cruiser leader armed with guns up to 12 inches?

Britain, Japan, and the United States would all have strong incentives to build the new type quickly because the category offers cruiser status with capital-ship firepower.

Applying the destroyer-leader principle one level higher creates a potential cruiser-treaty loophole. An 8,500-ton ship allowed to carry guns as large as 12 inches would be unusually attractive. Britain, Japan, and the United States would each have reasons to exploit it rather than leave the advantage to a rival. The classification would therefore generate rapid counterbuilding and blur the boundary between cruiser and capital ship.