Would adequate armour remain practical on Tiger Cub cruisers?

Would this cruiser environment leave ships with either enough armour or effectively no useful armour?

That outcome is considered plausible, with the treaty tonnage setting the room available; Japan might try to fit fifteen 9.2-inch guns into 20,000 tons.

The prospect of ships having either adequate armour or little useful protection is treated as plausible. How much could be fitted would depend on the treaty's tonnage allowance. Within the proposed 20,000-ton ceiling, Japan might attempt a fifteen-gun 9.2-inch armament.