Taking Hood as the ceiling had a clear political logic because she was the world's largest recent capital ship. The Hawkins-class precedent made it plausible to derive a treaty category from a recent British design already in service. The proposal raises the British and American totals to 615,000 tons and Japan's to about 370,000 tons, roughly 55,000 tons above its historical allowance, while France and Italy also gain room. Every signatory could approach the most powerful capital ship already in service while applying post-Jutland knowledge to a new design. A common 41,000-ton ceiling would reshape individual ships and the total strength allowed by the treaty ratios.
Chapter · 48:22-53:11
A Hood-based limit reshapes fleet balance
A 41,000-ton ceiling would increase treaty totals for Britain, the United States, Japan, France, and Italy, with major effects on available warships.