The second Naval Limitation Conference was convened in Geneva in 1927 but failed to agree to further restrict the size of the world's navies. This disappointed President Coolidge but prompted him to urge the House of Representatives Committee on Naval Affairs to introduce legislation that would authorize a ship building programme that would bring the US Navy to full parity with the Royal Navy. The original house bill of 71 ships of all types was pared down to 1 5 light cruisers (later changed to heavies to conform with cruiser classifications allowed under the London Treaty of 1930) and one carrier. After being defeated by the Senate the legislation known as the 'cruiser bill' was reintroduced and became law 13 February 1929. This law not only authorized the building of Indianapolis and her sister Portland but also the Astoria Class CAs and Brooklyn Class CLs. However, due mainly to President Hoover's trust in the Kellogg-Briand Pact that 'outlawed war' and to the Great Depression of 1929 building was initially slow; only Indianapolis and Portland were commissioned before 1934 and no Brooklyn keels were laid until 1935.
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