Dominion fleet choices mixed local budgets with Admiralty influence

How could Britain persuade the Dominions that a common cruiser class offered the best value?

Through strong Admiralty recommendations, which most Dominions respected, although local governments could still refuse to spend the money.

Strong Admiralty recommendations carried substantial weight with Dominion governments. Many accepted that the Royal Navy had greater design and operational expertise and therefore treated its advice as authoritative. That influence was not absolute, because local governments could still refuse the expense, as Canada and South Africa sometimes did. Imperial naval standardization depended on negotiation backed by professional prestige rather than simple command from London.