Washington fills a gap left by America's Versailles refusal

The delegations shared an interest in avoiding another major war while disagreeing about the forces needed for security. Versailles dealt with Germany, but the United States remained outside the League of Nations and made its own postwar arrangements. Washington provided a separate setting for discussing naval competition and Pacific disputes with American participation. In the interpretation offered here, that institutional gap helps explain the demand for another conference. The argument connects American non-participation in the League to the diplomatic framework used at Washington.