Apparently you must buy these papers to read them.
So, without having read them, I have to ask this question: True, Cr can delay the transformation of austenite to pearlite, thus causing the pearlite to be finer. But so can Mn and Mo to approx. the same degree. Unless something new has been discovered, that slight % of Cr could easily be offset by a slight reduction of Mn, or a few other elements. Also, if heat "A" and 0% Cr was cooled somewhat faster than heat "B" which had a little Cr (all other elements the same), it could easily have finer pearlite spacing than heat B.
Am I missing something here?