Show GREAT BRITAIN SURPRISED ti Foreign Office However Confirms News of the Agreement London Feb 5WhIle the publico f tie lion of liter dispatch from Washington Washing-ton regarding the annulling of lie I ClaytonBulwer Nicaraguan treaty and the substitution for It of time Hay Jauncefote treaty caused consldcrabln surprise it was fully confirmed al time Foreign olllce where It is said lie JI Associated Press Washington dIspatch Is correct In every particular rime apparent celerity In reaching an agreement Is explained by the fact that the whole matter was practically settled between Secretary Hay and Lord Pauncefole in 1898 About n fortnIght fort-night ago in conference on the attl Jfaf tude of the Senate Mr Choatc here received t Tit re-ceived Instructions lo press the con elusion of the negotiations The Brit leh Cabinet considered the matter ami received the Dominion of Canadas h sanction to grant the United Stales request re-quest The attitude of time Cabinet con slsled In the belief that lie Clayton Bulwer treaty was made when tho conditions governing time nations were so utterly different that It was now out of date and Impracticable Believing Believ-ing the prcnenl a mosi inopportune II It time for bargaining and haggling limo British Ministers decided to give tho United States a free hand Tho Westminster Goxctle this after jioon alone comments on the Nlcara gun agreement Jt welcomes the un nouncement but says It Is surprised Great Britain docs not get compensa lion for relinquishing her undoubted rights The paper realizes thai Lord v Salisbury may havo good reasons for assenting to this but hopes Great Britain friendly action will count In the s ttlfrn nt if the Alaskan dispute |