In the decade or more prior to WW1 the USN built up a formidable battle fleet reasonably constantly, usually 2 battleships per year with some years more and other less or even none, but reasonably costly. In contrast the USN built 16 destroyers in 1899 then none until the 5 of 1908, in 1909 they built 10 but then 5, 5, 8, 6, 6, 6 and 6 per year to 1916, when they authorised 50 for 1917. Cruisers were even worse, after building 12 as a result of the Spanish American war, the last of which commissioned in 1908 (itself after a 7 year break) the USN didn't build any more cruisers until 1918 when they started a class of 10.
Is there any way this stop-start process could be smoothed out? The USN got a bunch of battleships and cruisers out of the S-A war but no destroyers, can that be changed? The USN was getting a handful of destroyers each year, could a light cruiser along the lines of the Chester class be included in those orders? Could the USN keep up the tempo of 10 destroyers of 1909 or the 8 of 1912?