The proposed settlement retains a 35,000-ton individual limit and 16-inch guns. Capital ships become replaceable after 26 years, or after 20 years when they had served during the First World War. Preserving Britain's desired six-ship numerical margin over Japan requires moving from fifteen ships to twenty, totaling 700,000 tons. A cap of one-fifth of national tonnage under construction at once prevents a sudden mass-building surge while still allowing France and Italy to replace ships in useful batches.
Chapter · 46:03-49:17
Treaty limits for a twenty-capital-ship fleet
A 700,000-ton ceiling preserves Britain's six-ship margin over Japan while limiting how much replacement tonnage can be under construction at once.