Two German 11-inch ships yearly would not alarm Britain

Would Britain see Germany as less threatening if it built only two 11-inch-gunned ships per year?

Yes; Britain could answer quietly with about four ships per year rather than treating the program as an intolerable challenge.

A limited two-ship program armed with 11-inch guns would remain within Britain's capacity to overmatch without emergency measures. The perceived threat came from the pace and ambition of German construction as well as the existence of modern ships.