Cruiser imbalances behind the negotiations

France and Italy stayed away from the 1927 Geneva talks, while Japan attended seeking capital-ship tonnage equal to 70 percent of the American allowance. The United States remained short of modern cruisers and destroyers, relying on four-piper destroyers and Omaha-class cruisers. Much of Britain's cruiser force also consisted of C, D, and E class designs dating from the end of the First World War, although County-class construction and Leander planning were under way. The E class is described as an awkward hybrid whose turreted six-inch guns looked modern from ahead while the rest of the design did not. These uneven starting positions made uniform limits difficult and shaped the category bargains eventually reached in London.