If US Standard battleships became World of Warships Vermonts in 1916

What if every US Standard-type battleship became the World of Warships Vermont in 1916?

The ships would force canal expansion or separate ocean fleets and provoke larger foreign designs, with a concern that Congress might withhold funding for America's next response.

This scenario imports the game's Vermont into 1916, giving the United States huge 23-knot battleships with twelve 18-inch guns apiece. They would no longer fit the Panama Canal, so the Navy would need separate Atlantic and Pacific forces or a widened canal. The initial advantage would also invite foreign navies to build comparable ships. One concern raised is that Congress would regard the new fleet as sufficient and refuse the funding needed to answer those later rivals. Britain would seek its own response, while Japan's likely starting points are the Kii and Number 13 designs. A suggestion that Yamato would follow is corrected to those earlier projects, and this escalation is expected to prevent a stabilising naval treaty system.