Britain and the United States were each other's only naval peer under the treaty system. Their planners therefore needed a contingency for an unexpected conflict, however friendly relations appeared. Canadian and American officers also surveyed each other's territory while their governments remained at peace. Keeping such plans does not establish that political leaders expected a war. Similarly, carrier design studies could become useful if the treaty system collapsed without constituting an approved peacetime building program.
Notable Point · 2:44:20-2:49:05
Contingency plans do not prove a likely war
War plans cover unexpected conflicts, while carrier design studies preserve options for emergencies; neither alone establishes a government's intent.