The treaty system gave British politicians political cover to spend less on defence and direct money toward other priorities, especially paying down national debt. Without agreed limits, the government would face stronger pressure to fund new construction in response to foreign programs. Britain already held a strong shipbuilding position, while the United States combined greater long-term potential with a fiscally cautious Congress. Even in the late 1930s, the large American industrial expansion associated with wartime production accelerated only after war had begun in Europe. Theoretical capacity did not guarantee immediate political willingness.
Notable Point · 1:00:26-1:03:19
Naval treaties as British fiscal cover
Treaty support is explained as a domestic budget choice that let British politicians reduce defence spending while American mobilization remained politically uncertain.