Article 19 froze Pacific bases and defenses

Article 19 assigned different restricted geography to the United States, British Empire, and Japan. For the United States, most Pacific insular possessions were frozen, the Aleutians remained within the restricted group, and Hawaii plus positions adjacent to the American mainland, Alaska, and the Panama Canal Zone were exempted. For Britain, Hong Kong and specified Pacific possessions east of 110 degrees east were frozen, with exceptions around Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Japan's restricted possessions included the Kuril and Bonin islands, Formosa, and the Pescadores. Within the specified territories, the treaty barred new bases, greater repair capacity, and stronger coastal defences while permitting routine replacement of worn equipment. The strategic burden depended on where each power's homeland, industry, bases, and exempt positions lay.