Navies can follow the wording of a treaty while preserving useful future options. Water used as torpedo protection and armour retained for later fitting are examples of design choices that complicate simple displacement rules. The idea extends to sloops designed with latent speed or armament potential and to larger programmes of cruiser and light-carrier construction under Washington limits. Treaty language still imposes constraints, but design details, stored equipment, and industrial capacity determine how much latent capability a fleet retains.
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Treaty-selective designs and conversion reserves
A selective treaty policy would build ships with defensible peacetime explanations while retaining space, fittings, or stores for rapid wartime upgrades.