og an ▁describes ▁Sm och in ă ▁as : ▁" a ▁man ▁of ▁The ▁Law , ▁with ▁a ▁calling ▁for ▁human ▁rights ▁and ▁the ▁rights ▁of ▁pe op les ▁[ ... ]. ▁Ask ed ▁to ▁have ▁his ▁say ▁on ▁the ▁issue ▁of ▁Minor ity ▁Rights , ▁[ he ] ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Foreign ▁Affairs ▁and ▁took ▁part ▁in ▁international ▁con gress es ▁on ▁the ▁matter ." ▁From ▁ 1 9 3 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 3 5 , ▁the ▁Trans n ist rian ▁scholar ▁was ▁in ▁France , ▁where ▁he ▁further ed ▁his ▁studies . ▁He ▁was ▁spons ored ▁by ▁I org a , ▁who ▁awarded ▁him ▁a ▁scholar ship ▁and ▁put ▁him ▁up ▁for ▁the ▁Roman ian ▁School ▁of ▁Font en ay - aux - R oses , ▁receiving ▁some ▁more ▁assistance ▁from ▁H ali ppa . ▁He ▁focused ▁his ▁research ▁on ▁recover ing ▁old ▁texts ▁from ▁sources ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Bibliothèque ▁N ationale ▁and ▁Musée ▁S lave . ▁In ▁the ▁end , ▁he ▁took ▁a ▁Ph . D . ▁in ▁History , ▁with ▁Ferdinand ▁Lot ▁as ▁his ▁doctor al ▁ad visor . ▁He ▁also ▁began ▁teaching ▁Roman ian ▁at ▁Société ▁pour ▁la ▁Pro pag ation ▁des ▁Lang ues ▁E tr ang ères , ▁a ▁learned ▁society ▁fund ed ▁by ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Paris . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁Sm och in ă ' s ▁first ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁Len in ▁interview ▁was ▁published ▁by ▁Le ▁Prom é th ée , ▁the ▁propag anda