Why the Empire Cruise avoided the US Atlantic coast

Why did the British Empire Cruise avoid the United States' Atlantic coast?

It added little to the diplomatic message and risked making the British squadron look outnumbered beside concentrated US forces.

The Atlantic coast was not the audience that needed convincing because everyone already knew Britain could reach it. The cruise instead demonstrated British access to more distant regions where American and Japanese planners had to consider imperial naval reach. A New York visit risked photographs of the touring squadron surrounded by a stronger local US Navy concentration, weakening the intended message. Such a call could also overplay a carefully balanced diplomatic operation and turn a reminder of status into an unnecessary provocation. Omitting New York was part of the signalling strategy rather than an overlooked opportunity.