Could other powers catch an early British jet lead?

Could Germany, Japan, and the United States catch up if Britain developed jet engines much earlier?

Germany and the United States could respond with time and effort, but Japan's industrial limits would make its catch-up especially slow.

The size of Britain's advantage would depend on how long the program remained concealed before other countries understood what it had achieved. Germany would be expected eventually to pursue the same route, but only after committing substantial development effort. Japan would struggle most because its industrial system was already operating near its limits. In this scenario, American commercial firms would provide much of the early response with less government direction.