Capital ships and carriers supplied deterrent and offensive power, yet the treaty did not fund enough modern destroyers to protect them in hostile waters. Operating those high-value ships without a full screen was realistic only in peacetime, when attack was not expected. The mismatch made fleets look weak as well as leaving them vulnerable. A peace-seeking treaty therefore restricted the preparation needed to make deterrence credible.
Chapter · 47:12-49:20
The treaty underfunded wartime fleet screening
Historical destroyer limits made sense only if major ships operated in peacetime conditions without the full screens demanded by war.