The failed Geneva talks exposed two incompatible meanings of parity. Britain was prepared to let the United States build up because the Royal Navy needed many cruisers for imperial trade protection; American negotiators wanted Britain to scrap down because Congress would not pay for equivalent numbers. The United States already held advantages in destroyers and submarines, yet its navy feared politicians might sacrifice those ships to secure British cruiser reductions. The exclusion of professional negotiators is criticized here for leaving that tension unchallenged.
Chapter · 41:27-48:29
Hoover, naval parity, and the cruiser gap
The cruiser parity dispute turned on whether the United States would fund more ships or Britain would scrap vessels it considered necessary.