Limitations that the Disarmament Conference will have to determine will deal with four classes of warships:-
(1) Capital Ships, i.e., ships of over 10,000 tons or with guns of more than 8‑inch calibre
(2) Aircraft Carriers of over 10,000 tons.
(3) Surface vessels of or below 10,000 tons armed with guns of more than 6‑inch and up to 8-inch calibre.
(4) Ocean-going submarines, i.e. over 600 tons.
The Washington Treaty regulates limitations in classes (1) and (2), and the Disarmament Conference will only have to consider the method of extending these limitations to Powers non-signatory to this Treaty.
As regards classes (3) and (4), the final Disarmament Conference will fix a maximum tonnage applicable to all Powers which no Power will be allowed to exceed for the total of vessels in each of these respective categories during the period covered by the convention. Within this maximum limit each Power will at the final conference indicate for each of these categories the tonnage they propose to reach and which they undertake not to exceed during the period covered by the convention.
Source: CMD3211, Papers regarding the Limitation of Naval Armaments, His Majesty’s Stationery Office, London, 1928, pp26-27
