An international agreement can restrict construction while established design ideas and technical knowledge remain available. A hypothetical ceiling of 20,000 tons and 12-inch guns would still leave larger ships such as Hood visible to rival navies. Colorado, Nelson and Rodney would likewise demonstrate that 16-inch guns remained possible. If strategic conditions deteriorated, existing designs and knowledge could support renewed construction of larger ships. The risk for a navy invested in small carriers or battleships is how quickly a competitor could produce those larger alternatives and outclass its force.
Notable Point · 48:13-50:42
Treaties could not erase knowledge of larger warships
Low tonnage ceilings remained fragile because agreements could halt construction without making navies forget that larger carriers, battleships, and guns were possible.