60S Third European Journey 



saw his "' very' good . . . photomicrographic apparatus," promised 

 him a copy of his text book, but still believed that another paper 

 on the subject could be prepared. His reasons were that the 

 '" failure to reproduce the disease {made him] suspect [Petri] may 

 have isolated and described the wron^ or^-anism. . . . His draw- 

 ings and photomicrographs [were] very attractive. He [had] 

 stained bacteria inside of certain cells as well as in the intercellular 

 spaces and tlie cavities."" But Smith still wanted to re-study the 

 pine tumor and Petri gave him three of his slides.^' 



He learned tliat Dr. Victor Pc^lion was now in Rome as Under 

 Secretary of Agriculture. On November 5, in Rome, he called at 

 the Department of Agriculture and Peglion immediately presented 

 him with a copy of his book, Le Bonijiche in Italia, Problemi e 

 FiriMlita Agricole. He met many interesting officials, saw the 

 laboratories and museum, and promised to return tlie next day 

 to study specimens and examine more closely an exposition of the 

 Italian universities then being held. These were troublous times 

 in Italy, politically. Premier Mussolini had established himself 

 in complete control of the government. This pleased Smith no 

 more than tlie prospect of the English elections and the possibility 

 that the Labor part}' " witli its Socialistic program " might not be 

 beaten. What Smitii objected to was the then aspect of " Com- 

 munistic domination. . . . The Communistic tail is wagging the 

 Dog," he said.^^ " The rougher elements in the part}' cannot 

 tolerate free speech when it is not on their side and are breaking 

 up meetings by catcalling and throwing things. It is a shameful 

 side of the Labor movement in all countries that when they are 

 short of arguments they resort to violence." He had been recently 

 shocked to read in the London Times of the sudden death of 

 Secretar}' "Wallace. He admired the great men of both political 

 parties, Republican and Democratic. At one time he had been a 

 Republican, but right now he was in sympathy with the views of 

 "Woodrow "Wilson. In politics, he was, as he said, "' an onlooker 

 rather than a worker." Science was to him " the key wherewith 

 [to] unlock all mystery of time and sense, of life and death, of 

 whence and whither borne." His plea was: " Let me the strong 

 sweet life of Nature find, the God of earth and heaven whom 

 Science bares." In Italy, he found that, owing to the war's after- 



*' Journal, Oct. 28, 29, 1924. *' Journal, Oct. 27, 1924. 



