One treaty delegation could strengthen Commonwealth naval unity

What could Britain do if the United States and Japan refused to treat Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, and South Africa as separate naval powers?

Britain could leave the talks if separate status were essential, but negotiating as one bloc also encouraged the navies to plan and act together, so this was not necessarily a point worth breaking the treaty over.

Separate treaty delegations would recognize the dominions as distinct negotiating powers and make their navies more formally independent. Treating the group as one forces its members to coordinate allocation, planning, and representation. Britain therefore gains an institutional advantage from accepting a combined total. The arrangement could reinforce the habit of acting as one naval system even while political autonomy continued to grow.