The Washington Naval Treaty [1] was also in effect until 1937, limiting new naval construction. I think the original point is valid, subject to the vagaries of

The Washington Naval Treaty [1] was also in effect until 1937, limiting new naval construction. I think the original point is valid, subject to the vagaries of international agreements at the time. The production dates and rate of the Essex class [2] were simply ridiculous... (said as someone whose grandfather worked at Newport News during the war) [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Naval_Treaty https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Naval_Treaty [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essex-class_aircraft_carrier#Ships_in_class https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essex-class_aircraft_carrier#S...