The Anglo-Japanese Alliance

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The Anglo-Japanese Alliance, January 30, 1898

The governments of Great Britain and Japan, actuated solely by a desire to maintain the status quo and general peace in the Extreme East and in securing equal opportunities in those countries for the commerce and industry of all nations, hereby agree as follows:

Article 1:
The High Contracting Parties, actuated interested in the preserving of the status quo and general peace, agree that should the Ally become involved in hostilities with another Power in which it is not the belligerent party, the other High Contracting Party will come to its assistance and will conduct the war in common, and make peace in mutual agreement with it.

Article 2:
The High Contracting Parties, having special interests which those of Great Britain relate principally to India and Indian Ocean, while those of Japan relate principally to the East, South and Philippines Seas and the Japanese territories therein, agree that in the event of more than one Powers joining in hostilities against the Ally over these regions of interest, the other High Contracting Party will come to its assistance and will conduct the war in common, and make peace in mutual agreement with it.

Article 3:
The High Contracting Parties agree that neither of them will, without consulting the other, enter into separate arrangements with another Power to the prejudice of the interests above described.

Article 4:
Whenever, in the opinion of either Great Britain or Japan, the above-mentioned interests are in jeopardy, the two Governments will communicate with one another fully and frankly.

Article 5:
The present Agreement shall come into effect immediately after the date of its signature, and remain in force for five years from that date. In case neither of the High Contracting Parties should have notified twelve months before the expiration of said five years the intention of terminating it, it shall remain binding until the expiration of one year from the day on which either of the High Contracting Parties shall have denounced it. But if, when the date fixed for its expiration arrives, either Ally is actually engaged in war, the alliance shall, ipso fact, continue until peace is concluded.

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Signed by Hayashi Tadasu (林 董), Japanese Ambassador to Great Britain, on behalf of the Empire of Japan.

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Signed by Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne, the Foreign Secretary of Her Britannic Majesty Queen Victoria.