London, June 21.
The proposal that the British Government refrain from applying economic sanctions against Japan for a few more days since the possibility of an agreement being reached in Tientsin has not been entirely discarded was made by Lord Halifax, the Foreign Secretary, at this morning's weekly Cabinet meeting.
Lord Halifax stressed, however, that the Government was determined to act if the forthcoming conversations between Sir Robert Craigie, British Ambassador in Tokyo, and the Japanese Foreign Minister, Mr. Arita, regarding the situation in Tientsin leave no hope for a satisfactory agreement.
The Ministers were informed of the previous conversations between Sir Robert and Mr. Arita, while Lord Halifax outlined the talks he had with the Japanese Ambassador, Mr. Mamoru Shigemitsu, The Cabinet also discussed the present negotiations with Soviet Russia, and Lord Halifax is believed to have stressed the necessity of a successful conclusion of the parleys.
Sir William Seeds, the British Ambassador in Moscow, and Mr.
William Strang, British special envoy, are due to confer this afternoon with Foreign Commissar Viacheslav Molotov, and an agreement may be reached in principle—Havas.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.