The Washington settlement allowed Britain two new battleships armed with 16-inch guns after its complaints about the postwar building balance. Britain also kept Hood, while the United States received the political prize of formal naval equality. Congress funded the fleet permitted by that paper parity only slowly. The delay later gave the United States an advantage because replacement ships arrived newer once funding and strategic pressure caught up. The treaty shaped the age and timing of future fleets as much as their nominal strength.
Notable Point · 9:06-11:24
The Washington Treaty bargain and American parity
Britain kept Hood and gained two new 16-inch battleships, while the United States gained formal equality that Congress was slow to fund.