Favourite treaty cruisers and the limits of the category

Which treaty-era cruisers does the panel prefer, and why?

Preferences vary according to visual appeal, widespread usefulness, and the design compromises imposed by treaty limits.

Favourite treaty-era cruisers include Atlanta, Pensacola, the Towns, and Leander, with later American designs prompting disagreement over the category's limits. Leander is valued for widespread service, while one preference favours four turrets over the smaller Arethusa arrangement. The unrealised four-quadruple six-inch Town battery is another design the participants would have liked to see in service. Counties attract praise for their appearance but criticism as a treaty compromise, including provision for adding armour later. Larger 9.2-inch designs suggest what the Royal Navy might have wanted alongside them. A hypothetical allowance of a few thousand tons beyond 10,000 could have improved the County concept, although these preferences do not amount to a systematic ranking.