Twenty ships on paper do not mean twenty available

One possible settlement gives Britain and America twenty capital ships each and Japan fourteen. Japan would be unlikely to accept twelve if its insistence on a seven-to-ten ratio caused the original negotiations to break down. The larger fleets seek an advantage in ships available for operations. Roughly one-third may be in refit or maintenance, with others training or in transit. The illustrative available totals are about twelve from twenty and eight or nine from fourteen. France's and Italy's allowances would also affect Japanese demands and the resulting Anglo-American totals.