The way the ship subsidy is being sidestepped by the Simmons and Norris farm bloc bills brings back that historic scene in "Penrod" when all the boys ran away from beautiful Marjorie Jones, to lavish their attentions on the disingenuous little out-of-town girl, Fanchon Gelbraith. President Harding's attempt to usher his subsidy through Congress has gone for naught. Teacher's pet fares poorly when she is left all alone among the rough boys from the great unruly West.

Most of this rudeness comes from those unsympathetic landsmen of the upper Mississippi valley. Enough pledges to defeat the subsidy have been secured by the newly hatched Senator Brookhart of lowa, whose precocity is something unprecedented. To be sure that good, old-fashioned "children should be seen and not heard" idea has long been dead; and Senator La Follette, a proven veteran of many a filibustering campaign, helped drive the balls into the come in his teaching days. The newcomers out of the West, Frasler, Shipstead, and Brookhart, together with the old Lochinvars, Borah, La Follette, and Norris, are few in number but present a formidable array.

Senators Lodge and Watson have developed an affection for the farmers, and with their loyal henchmen of the "old guard farm bloc", are now trying to outbid the westerners. But since the only effort to which the progressives can point with pride is an amendment to change the date of inauguration, the Old Guard have not been forced to extend themselves so far. However, once the ship subsidy is shelved in order to make way for the Simmons and Norris bills, they will find it difficult to make clear their reversal of front.

In calling for an appropriation of one hundred million dollars to aid the struggling farmer, Senator Norris is making his final fanfare before his voluntary resignation takes effect. His somewhat turbulent and unrestrained spirits have long been as wood alcohol to the conservative senators, and their grief over his departure will be tempered by a feeling of relief. Whether or not Senator Norris's measure is passed, the ship subsidy, abandoned on its shelf, is evidence enough of the success of the progressives' efforts.