Memorandum of interview between the Spanish minister and the Secretary of State.
The Spanish minister called this morning and renewed his request for an extension of the time given to Spanish subjects to make their election of nationality in the Spanish islands. In reply to my remark that it was thought by this Government that a year was time enough to be allowed for that purpose, he said he willingly assented to that, but he thought it should be an effective year, whereas no machinery for the recording of such options was now in existence either in Cuba, Porto Rico, or the Philippines, and he hoped that before the expiration of the time—the 11th of April—the Government of the United States would grant such reasonable extension as may suffice for not only the proper notice to be given, but for the work of recording the options of the Spanish subjects.