How Tiger Cub cruisers could reshape the Washington system

If Britain builds 9.2-inch Tiger Cub station cruisers, does Japan maintain its ties to Britain and adopt similar ships, and how would the United States respond?

The proposed ships prompt Japanese and American counterparts and a new large-cruiser treaty category. In the interpretation offered here, Britain still seeks to leave the Anglo-Japanese alliance.

The counterfactual begins with Britain building 9.2-inch station cruisers in the late 1910s to lead squadrons overseas. Other navies would develop counterparts, although the American gun choice remains unsettled between accepting 9.2 inches and seeking a larger calibre. A proposed Washington category would cover ships above 10,000 and up to 20,000 tons, with separate cumulative allowances. One illustrative British allocation of 400,000 tons would buy twenty-two 18,000-ton ships instead of twenty 20,000-ton ships. Capital-ship and carrier limits would then need reconsideration in a fleet containing these large cruisers. In Clarke's interpretation, Britain would still use the Washington settlement as a convenient route out of the Anglo-Japanese alliance.