Naval construction as recovery and industrial preparation

The proposed settlement treats naval construction as one part of a broader recovery package alongside housing, hospitals, schools, railways, roads, and port improvements. Using unemployed labour for public works and defence procurement could soften recession while preserving skilled yards and supply chains. A measured rise from 1930 or 1931 would give Britain about eight years and the United States about a decade to expand capacity before entering the war, rather than relying on a late emergency surge. Earlier Allied growth would also strengthen dealings with Mussolini and Hitler by denying them the assumption that the democracies would remain militarily static. Allowing Japan to build treaty-compliant ships openly could keep its yards occupied and reduce the appeal of secret projects such as Yamato. Procurement sustains employment immediately and creates a scalable production base for a later crisis.