▁other ▁Trans n ist rian ▁refuge e ▁students ▁during ▁his ▁college ▁term , ▁and ▁milit ated ▁for ▁increased ▁aw aren ess ▁of ▁their ▁situation ; ▁however , ▁he ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁critic ▁of ▁all ▁Roman ians ▁arriv ing ▁from ▁Russia , ▁not ing ▁that ▁the ▁Russian ▁education ▁system ▁left ▁them ▁poor ly ▁trained ▁and ▁super f icial . ▁He ▁first ▁began ▁associ ating ▁with ▁a ▁circle ▁of ▁B ess arab ian ▁Roman ians , ▁and ▁became ▁friends ▁with ▁B ess arab ian ▁Pe as ants ' ▁Party ▁founder ▁Pan ▁H ali ppa , ▁her ald ing ▁human itar ian ▁projects ▁to ▁feed ▁and ▁integrate ▁refuge e ▁children . ▁It ▁was ▁during ▁those ▁years ▁that ▁Nich ita ▁Sm och in ă ▁be fri ended ▁the ▁senior ▁historian ▁and ▁national ist ▁politician ▁Nicola e ▁I org a , ▁a ▁professor ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Buch ar est . ▁As ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 9 2 2 , ▁he ▁was ▁invited ▁by ▁I org a ' s ▁Cultural ▁League ▁for ▁the ▁Unity ▁of ▁All ▁Roman ians ▁to ▁attend ▁their ▁Cur te a ▁de ▁Ar ge ș ▁Congress ▁and ▁speak ▁about ▁Trans n ist rian ▁gr iev ances . ▁ ▁Nich ita ▁Sm och in ă ▁also ▁joined ▁the ▁Roman ian ▁Fre em ason ry ▁( the ▁" V as ile ▁Ale cs and ri " ▁L odge ), ▁and , ▁according ▁to ▁his ▁own ▁re collections , ▁lect ured ▁other ▁M asons ▁on ▁the ▁pl ight ▁of ▁Trans n ist ri ans . ▁Sm och in