Under the proposed treaty, reclassifying the four 27,500-ton Kongos would remove roughly 110,000 tons from Japan's battleship total and place it inside a 120,000-ton battlecruiser allowance. Japan could keep all four fast ships, leaving 10,000 tons unused, or replace them with three ships at the proposed 40,000-ton maximum. Retaining the Kongos preserves an extra hull in that category. The released battleship tonnage would create room for three improved Nagato-type ships. Washington would become a managed opportunity for Japanese construction as well as a limit on overall strength.
Notable Point · 40:49-41:52
A separate Kongo allowance could fund more Nagatos
Moving four Kongo-class ships into a separate battlecruiser allowance would release enough Japanese battleship tonnage for three improved Nagato-type ships.