London, Mar. 8.
Several thousand demonstrators blocked Picadilly Circus last night in a huge protest meeting against the foreign policy of the British Government and the conversations to be held with Herr Joachim von Ribbentrop, German Foreign Minister, who has just arrived in London. Police, prevented other demonstrators from thering before the German Embassy and thè Parliament buildings.
Lord Cecil, in the House of Lords to-day, asked the Government whether the League of Nations had used its "moral force" in preventing the invasion of China by Japan, and if so with what result.
Lord Halifax, the Foreign Secretary, replied in writing on behalf of the Government.
"For information concerning the League's action in the Sino-Japanese dispute," the reply read, "I cannot do better than refer Lord Cecil to the reports and the resolutions adopted by the Assembly last October and the resolution adopted by the Council on February 2, 1938."—Havas. and Italy Following the talk, which lasted over an hour, a communique stated that a survey of the ground to be covered was made, and that the conversations would be continued.
It is believed that the next meeting will be held on Thursday, when international affairs are expected to be discussed. regarding the nature so that their success may endangered by premature publicity The atmosphere, however, is very cordial while the Italian press is full of extracts from foreign news papers commenting favourably on what is described as a "new turn in British policy."
The conversations are expected to begin in earnest after to-morrow's meeting of the Fascist Grand Council.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.