Appalled by the war spirit in Toronto, Smith and his wife went to Italy for the winter of 1899. In the spring he returned, by-passing England, for, as he wrote to Merriman, ". . . the Jingoism there would sicken me." The Toronto Weekly Sun continued to carry Smith's column of political comment, and he sent frequent suggestions to W. D. Gregory concerning the paper's management. Much of the Sun's circulation fell away, and Smith found it necessary to subscribe increasing amounts to keep the journal going. After the great numerical superiority of British forces in South Africa had made the outcome of the war a certainty, interest, as shown in the correspondence, was transferred from the war itself to the terms of settlement. Merriman wrote frequently from Cape Town, and Bryce and Morley concurred in Smith's view of the war. Bryce explained the futility of attempts to alter British opinion, "The nation is making so many sacrifices that it is determined to believe that the sacrifices are being made for a worthy object." American writers in 1900 show a lack of enthusiasm for either presidential candidate, but letters from two New England women attest to a new awareness of political affairs among their sex. Smith's article Commonwealth or Empire was acclaimed by a few who shared his dismay at the apparent departure of Britain and the United States from their roles of protectors of smaller states. The United Kingdom, a two-volume political history, was praised for its literary quality. Among correspondents on the reel are Henri Bourassa, Cockran, C. S. Parker, William R. Thnyer, and Pasquale Villari.