Little hope for an amicable solution of the Tientsin problem was held in Government quarters, however, and it was predicted that the retaliatory measures envisaged by the Board of Trade would be applied sooner or later.
Encouragement for the Government to adopt a strong attitude towards Japan in this case was seen this afternoon in the many representations made by various Parliamentary groups, urging a resolute stand.
Mr. R. A. Butler, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, received a delegation of experts on Far Eastern questions while in the House of Commons.
The men represented the Foreigr affairs Committee of the, Government majority in Parliament and included Sir John Wardlaw-Milne, Mr. Adrian Charles Moreing, Sir Nairne Stewart Sandeman and Lord Elibank, They advocated strong action in reply to Japan's blockade of the Tientsin British Concession.
Mr. Butler, it was said, reacted favourably to this representation and declared he would immediately communicate the delegation's views to Lord Halifax, Foreign Secretary.
Earlier in the afternoon, Mr. Butler received a Labour delegation which voiced similar views on the situation in the North China port.
—Havas.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.