Why treaty loopholes were not exploited without limit

Why did navies not abuse permissive treaty clauses more aggressively?

Because any interpretation one navy exploited could also be exploited by its rivals, so excessive loophole use risked triggering reciprocal construction.

Navies did exploit favorable wording, but they had to consider the precedent they created. Aggressive use of a clause could license every other signatory to make the same interpretation, potentially leaving the initiator worse off. Reciprocity therefore acted as a practical brake even where the written rules left room for maneuver. Treaty behavior was shaped by strategic interaction among the signatories as well as by the legal text itself.