The treaty system accepted some work and ships that already existed, as the treatment of Renown and Hood illustrates. Refusing the proposed Tiger conversion could prompt Britain to leave the agreement or demand a third new 16-inch capital ship, worsening the tonnage arithmetic for other powers. Allowing the reconstruction could therefore become an acceptable compromise. In this scenario Britain would enter the Second World War with four fast 15-inch capital ships, making it easier to release Hood for modernization while Tiger covered some of her assignments. The consequences would depend on Hood's eventual refit and the different operating characteristics of the two ships. Tiger would probably need more than the proposed sixteen boilers to reach Hood's roughly 32 knots, using additional machinery space. Whether that speed justified a larger installation would remain a separate design decision.
Notable Point · 50:48-53:50
Accepting Tiger may be cheaper than reopening the treaty bargain
Treaty partners might tolerate a conversion already under way rather than risk British withdrawal or a demand for another new capital ship.