France and Italy had already committed their limited prewar construction capacity, while Germany was building a lopsided fleet. American politics offered a different mechanism. Charleston Navy Yard could build cruisers but not the historical Lexington-class battlecruisers, and Senator Benjamin Tillman had a constituency interest in restoring cruiser construction. With federal investment, a British Tiger Cub precedent might therefore redirect the American program toward a 9.2-inch or similar large cruiser that the yard could actually build.
Notable Point · 46:12-48:54
American yard politics could reshape the Lexington program
Senator Benjamin Tillman's interest in cruiser work for Charleston Navy Yard creates a possible American route from Lexington battlecruisers to large station cruisers.