Scattered trade routes required more escorts than treaty policy supplied

Roskill argues that Britain's widely scattered commerce required large numbers of cruisers and smaller escort vessels. The 1930 London Treaty extended naval limitations to those categories and to submarines. His criticism places these restrictions alongside the growth of threats from Germany, Japan and Italy. He also treats the weakening of Britain's merchant fleet and its inadequately defended bases as parts of the same strategic problem. Fighting ships alone could not provide maritime security if the shipping and supporting facilities were also deteriorating.