The equitable rewrite retains the Washington limits for ships below the capital-ship and carrier categories because an actual design precedent already exists. The same appeal to existing designs supports larger capital-ship allowances elsewhere in the proposed rewrite, so consistency rules out raising the cruiser ceiling merely to reach a larger or rounder figure. The Hawkins class and its 7.5-inch battery supply the historical benchmark. Had Churchill backed the proposed 9.2-inch alternative of roughly 15,000 to 18,000 tons, the precedent and therefore the treaty category could have been different.
Notable Point · 30:09-31:08
Why the equitable rewrite keeps the cruiser ceiling
The equitable rewrite keeps the 10,000-ton cruiser limit because an actual shipbuilding precedent supports it, while a larger Hawkins design could have changed the treaty category.