Mme. Borodin Out

Despatches told last week a belated inside story of how U. S. Senator Hiram Bingham interceded recently at Peking with the great War Lord Chang Tso-lin to save the life of the notorious Mme. Michael Borodin, whom Chang had taken prisoner (TIME, March 21).

Reputedly Senator Bingham, six feet tall and harsh of voice, told the small and slim but ruthless Chang Tso-lin that if he ordered the execution of Mme. Borodin public opinion in the U. S. would consider the War Lord a mere barbarian.

"Oh, quite very well then, Mr. Senator," said Chang Tso-lin, indifferently. "If that is the way you Westerners feel about women, Mme. Borodin shall not be shot."

Then, as the tall, stern Senator relaxed, Chang added contemptuously: "Me have always been puzzled why Western men are so foolish about their women."

Last week Chang Tso-lin adopted an attitude of even greater indifference toward chunky, placid, middle-aged Mme. Borodin. She was released from jail under an amnesty, and at once hastened to Tientsin, preparing to embark there for Vladivostok.

During the week the Chinese representative to the League of Nations, irascible Chao Hsin-chu, packed his bags at Geneva and set out for faction-torn China, leaving no one empowered to represent his country before the League.