Britain, Japan, and several Dominions would enter the agreement with unused tonnage, making a timed construction programme more workable than an absolute holiday. Shipbuilding slots could limit how many ships were under construction at once and require completion within an agreed period. Britain could build ships in pairs while Japan adds battleships one at a time, and the United States could complete its Lexingtons rapidly. An Indian battlecruiser could be framed as recognition of wartime service and would provide British yards with another order. A South African battlecruiser would demand a commitment well beyond its historical naval programme. Royal Navy personnel might help crew ships flagged, owned, and funded by New Zealand or South Africa. Canada is the most likely to defer its entitlement until Pacific security concerns intensify in the late 1920s or 1930s.
Chapter · 45:33-48:21
Scheduled construction could expand Dominion fleets
Because several signatories would begin below their allowances, the alternative Washington settlement could use timed construction slots in place of a simple building holiday.