Tillman has little interest in aviation for its own sake because aircraft manufacturing did not directly employ Charleston, but Lexington conversions preserved large shipyard contracts. Doubling the carrier allowance and the conversion exception would permit four of the battlecruiser hulls to survive as carriers. Removing their historical eight-inch guns would save weight but prevent them from standing off enemy cruisers on their own. The resulting need for more cruiser escorts turns carrier policy into another mechanism for sustaining Tillman's preferred construction program.
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Four Lexington conversions need more escorts
Doubling carrier tonnage permits four Lexington conversions, while limiting their guns to six inches makes additional cruiser escorts politically and operationally necessary.