Fuel and water were omitted from treaty displacement calculations because Britain and France needed ships able to travel long distances across imperial and colonial networks. Counting full fuel loads against the tonnage limit would have penalized that global role relative to navies operating nearer home waters. The rule shows how technical definitions in naval treaties could encode logistical geography as well as ship design.
Notable Point · 2:38:56-2:39:10
Treaty fuel exclusion favored global navies
Excluding fuel and water from treaty displacement protected navies whose ships needed long range to connect overseas possessions.