Historically, the 1930 London Treaty brought carriers below 10,000 tons within the Washington carrier allowance. An established British cruiser-carrier force could instead prompt the treaty powers to create a separate category, comparable to the division between heavy and light cruisers. A 13,500-ton unit limit would fit ten such carriers inside a 135,000-ton allowance, with lower totals for Japan, France, and Italy. On the scenario's reading, Herbert Hoover's position could decide whether the category survived negotiation or helped rupture the treaty system. A successful agreement would legitimize small carriers and invite many more navies into naval aviation.
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How the London Treaty might create a light-carrier allowance
The historical rules counted small carriers against the existing ceiling, while this scenario gives the London negotiations a possible 13,500-ton light-carrier category with a separate national allowance.