Ongoing British, American and Japanese construction would maintain yards, infrastructure, research and design experience. Even one capital ship a year, or two across a two-year cycle, could produce several distinct generations of improvement before a hypothetical Second World War. France and Italy might participate at a lower rate, while treaty-constrained Germany would face a much wider technology gap than it did after the historical building holiday. Japan could retain confidence in its nominal 7:10 ratio while seeing that Britain and the United States remained equally committed to naval preparedness.
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Continuous construction as a deterrent signal
Steady capital-ship construction sustains industrial progress and makes rival powers less likely to mistake preparedness for weakness.