Lloyd George's interest in trade leads the counterfactual away from isolated imperial conferences and toward continuous Dominion participation in Admiralty planning. Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, Indian, and South African officers would serve within a common naval staff while their governments developed cruisers, destroyers, bases, and maintenance capacity. The arrangement also fits his preference for moving from imperial policing toward self-governing partners able to defend their own sea lanes. The result is a more distributed force for protecting local trade until heavier Royal Navy units arrive, and a more balanced political debate between continental and global strategy.
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Dominion naval integration and global trade protection
A naval counterpart to the Imperial General Staff could integrate Dominion officers, bases, cruisers, and destroyers into a global defense network.