Baltic blockade could end the war before American entry

The carrier scenario could change the duration and political ownership of the war. If Britain cuts Germany off from Baltic food and material imports by late 1916, total mobilization has already left agriculture and industry short of labor. Under those conditions, the war may end before American entry in April 1917. Britain would avoid much of its costliest period of wartime spending, while Woodrow Wilson would have less military participation to convert into bargaining power. The Washington treaty system might therefore never emerge, quite apart from its difficulty accommodating carriers.