Contemporary design work was already clustering around roughly 40,000 to 43,000 tons, which made a 35,000-ton ceiling inadequate for the requirements of every major navy. Knowingly forcing poorer designs would shift the cost of idealistic arms limitation onto sailors in a future war. Equal constraints did not make the danger morally equal because each government remained responsible for its own personnel. The proposed alternative therefore starts from a practical premise: if complete disarmament is unattainable, a peace-minded treaty must still permit viable warships.
Chapter · 9:22-14:48
Why the 35,000-ton battleship limit looked unrealistic
The historical 35,000-ton ceiling is criticized for forcing every navy below the displacement its own requirements appeared to demand.