How more County-class cruisers could change treaty bargaining

The proposed building programme exploits the Washington Treaty's absence of a total numerical limit on cruisers of 10,000 tons or less. Ordering four County-class cruisers annually from 1924 through 1929 would produce a programme of 24 ships before the London negotiations, while eight annually would produce 48. The counterfactual assumes Britain would resist surrendering that investment, forcing negotiators to reconsider cruiser allowances. One suggested settlement allows much larger heavy- and light-cruiser totals, although its terms remain hypothetical. Regular construction would also keep British yards, armour makers, and gun manufacturers working.