Reminiscences of the Shanghai Bowl

Reminiscences of the Shanghai Bowl

My dad, Captain Robert L. Wright, had just finished a year at Ft. Benning, Georgia attending the Infantry Officers Advanced Course. We had a fairly good year there, but Dad knew he was due for an overseas assignment. We, or at least I, was hoping for Hawaii, but that was not to be. I think Mother was hoping for China since she was not fond of excessive heat. No air conditioning in those days, just hand fans. When Dad's orders came, they were for the Philippines, departing on the USAT (US Army Transport) Ulysses S. Grant, a troop ship left over from World War I -- captured from the Germans or part of the treaty settlement. We sailed from New York in August 1931 and headed down the east coast for the Panama Canal. Two weeks with nothing to see but ocean. When we were getting close, the heat and humidity and no breeze told us Panama was near. We spent the night waiting offshore and in the morning, the ship was hooked up to mules that pulled it through the first set of locks. Most people got off the ship and took the train across the Canal Zone, stopping of course to do some shopping along the way. They caught up to us at the other end. We had a chance to shop at the official dock shop, but Dad decided everything was too expensive, so we should wait to buy things later.

Two more weeks and we were in San Francisco. Then on to Hawaii, Guam, and Manila. It took 52 days in all! At sea, we watched whales, sea turtles, and porpoise, played cards and jacks, and generally drove the adults crazy. When we disembarked in Manila, we were surprised at the crowds of people scrutinizing us. All the wives were looking at the clothes we wore to see what the latest fashions were back in the states. It was really a desire to reach out and touch someone who had so recently been "home" in the USA. What a homesick lot. Little did we realize we would be right there with them every time a ship docked in the years to come. We could not disembark until everyone had been through the health examiners to be sure we had our shots for smallpox, typhoid, cholera, and a few other things. They had punched so many holes in me I was afraid to drink any water for fear it would all leak out.

What a revelation landing in Manila. It was incredibly hot and Filipino children ran around in T-shirts -- no pants or diapers and they used the bathroom wherever they happened to be. We were picked up by another family who took us to their place until Mother and Dad could find a place to rent. Everyone seemed to talk about how much longer they had to stay and which ship would take them back. If someone "went native," they were accused of missing too many boats. Imagine our horror, when an executive order of President Herbert Hoover, it was decided to save some money by extending everyone in their posts for an extra year.

Dad and Mother finally found a house, a typical Spanish style place with no screens and lacking a lot of other amenities. This was because Dad decided we should learn about the customs and ways of the Spanish upper class that still lived in Manila. Mother hired a cook, a houseboy, and "lavendera," all of whom came every day. The cook and houseboy had quarters in the back of the garage. We didn't stay long in that house after Mother discovered bedbugs in the crack of her bedroom floor. I couldn't sleep at night because of the large geckos (lizards) crawling on the ceiling. We soon found a place with screens where most of the other officers had found accommodations. They were called the Sequia Apartments, connected houses with tiled and terrazo floors and windows with bars and shutters. Dad bought some rataan furniture, put our piano between the living and dining area, and draped mosquito netting over each bed.

We went to school from 7 to noon each day, enabling everyone to get home for lunch and a siesta since studying was impossible in the heat. School lasted from September to March because of the heat. We had our first Christmas with a branch of some trees brought over in the cooler of the next arriving transport. Boughs were distributed military style, according to rank. Dad was a captain, commanding Company B at the Cuartel de Espagna so our branch was two feet tall. Nevertheless, we turned it into a real tree and hung stuff on it, remembering the trees we had back in the states.

We had heard rumors of trouble in China where the Japanese were causing problems in the International Settlement at Shanghai. On Monday, February 1, 1932, we came home to find Dad hurriedly packing. The USAT Chaumont had docked the night before and the entire 31st Infantry Regiment was to sail that night for Shanghai. They were sent to help the Marines and "other allies" protect the International Settlement. We all drove over to the Cuartel with Dad to say goodbye. They arrived in Shanghai 4 days later, off-loaded troops and equipment, and marched to the horse track where they set up camp in the infield.

About 6 weeks later, Mother received a letter from Dad saying all was well and we could join him. He and several other officers had rented suites of rooms at the Cathay Mansions Hotel. Mother booked passage on the US President lines, (I can't remember the ship's name) and we were on our way. The ship stopped at Hong Kong for a day and we went ashore to see the sights. We had "Tiffin" for lunch and mother spent some money on a lovely jade necklace and earrings which I had redone many years later and still have. We arrived at Shanghai after dark and everything was moved by "lighters" from ship to shore. The harbor was not deep enough for docking. Coolies were there to take our luggage on long poles, each carrying what seemed to me like an incredible amount of weight. They were paid only a few "coppers" (like our pennies, only larger). We all piled into rickshas and were off to the hotel where Dad had some lovely things laid out as gifts to be sure Mother would be pleased. She liked to buy her own things, however, so everyday was planned around what we shall see and which shops we shall visit. The Chinese had quite a scheme. There was copper street, where everything made of copper was for sale and so on, including silver street where the loveliest silver pieces could be seen. Most of the ladies went shopping together since it was not considered proper for them to shop alone. Us children had to be dragged along because there was no place to put us. Some officers hired "Amahs" to take care of their children, but when that idea came up, my brother and I really put up an argument, saying we were too old for that stuff. Nine and eleven year old children who had never had anyone but their mother wash their face could not allow their independence to be usurped. So we just went along on shopping trips. Mother and Dad eventually decided that the American Mission School would be a good thing for us. School in Shanghai ended in June. Dad hired us a ricksha boy and off we went through the streets of Shanghai early each morning, back to the hotel for lunch, and then back to school, returning to the hotel in time for tea. If it weren't for tea we would have starved because we had to eat in the children's dining room where they mainly cooked for babies. Chopped creamed spinach was our horror. Carrots, mashed potatoes, boiled meat -- we could eat most of it only with a lot of catsup. Tea brought crumpets, scones, cakes and all the other lovely things the British do so well for tea time. Instead of milk, we had KLIM (milk spelled backwards), powdered milk that had to be reconstituted with lots of water and lots of Ovaltine. Mother did this in a small cocktail shaker and we would carry it to the dining room. They were trying to build me up at the time because Dad thought I looked too skinny -- guess he never looked in a mirror.

One day when Mother and I were shopping with some of the other ladies, we went to silver street, mostly just to look. The ladies whose husbands were medics in the regiment were really smitten with the punch bowls and cups they saw there. They decided it would be a great thing to have for the "despididas" (hail and farewell ceremonies and dances) they had back in Manila. The 31st was known to have such affairs at the drop of a hat for every level of command. Most of the ladies came to look at one particular silversmith and a plan began to take shape. The word went out that to purchase the punch bowl of choice and cups, each officer would pay a share into a fund. (Our living expense was not too high because the exchange rate was 750 Chinese yuan to one US dollar.) The officers collected 1600 silver dollars for the set. They then began to devise the "passing of the cups" ceremony. Originally the idea was for each officer to buy a cup with his name, but they finally arrived at the system of only the original officers names engraved on cups that would be passed to their successors.

The punch bowl did not go back with us on the USAT Republic, but came along later when the thing could be done correctly, boxed as it is today. There were a great many other things that did go back on the boat with us. Machineguns wrapped in oriental rugs. Every sheet was a table cloth embroidered heavily, sets of dishes marked for use by the troops -- all in all the Republic was a treasure trove and the Philippine government finally gave us the "freedom of the port." (But not until the customs officer spilled ink from his fancy pen on my new organdy dress that Mother had made for me.)

So the wives of the 31st had a large part in the selection of the silversmith, the style of the bowl, and the type of cups. Later when Douglas MacArthur came back to the Philippines, he had larger, footed cups made, lined with gold. Those were all stolen, which is why the ones the regiment now has are so valuable and why an armed guard is needed whenever the bowl has to travel.

We learned form Dad after we returned to Manila that the medics had been so impressed with the fact that the company commanders had achieved a zero VD (venereal disease) rate they felt the bowl and cups would be a good reward. It was done by each company setting up "houses" with Chinese woman available for use by any soldier, or I suppose, officer of the company. The "ladies" were examined regularly by regimental medics. That was not legal in the U.S. but it was perfectly legal in china and an accepted practice among other internationals at Shanghai, who may have suggested the idea. In any case, Dad was the first to set up a "house" for his company and the others followed suit. The other problem that tempted the men was opium dens. Until recently, I retained a small piece of wood with the name of an opium den on it in Chinese that served as a pass for Dad to go look for his men to be sure none had strayed.

All in all, it was an interesting time in a very complex era. We all learned a great deal about China and the Chinese, as did the Chinese about Americans. Many of the momentos from that era still grace my home and others are in the 31st's museum. it is important that stories like this are told by those who were present at the time in all the wars and "police actions" the 31st was involved in.

This is a reprint of a presentation given by Mary Wright Neil at the 31st Infantry Regiment Association's Reunion '96 Banquet at Arlington, Virginia on June 30, 1996. It is reprinted with the author's permission for the exclusive use of the 31st Infantry Regiment Association.

Historical Context

In 1932, the setting of this story, Douglas MacArthur was the Army's Chief of Staff, the Great Depression was on, Hitler had not yet come to power in Germany, and Japan had just annexed Manchuria. The U.S. Army, with 132,000 men, garrisoned 130 posts and was composed of only 6 understrength infantry and horse cavalry divisions.

About the Author

Mary Elizabeth Wright (Neil) was born into an Army family, the daughter of Robert L. Wright, who commanded Company B, 31st Infantry Regiment in Manila and Shanghai. She was 11 years old when she joined her Dad at Shanghai in 1932. Her brother, Homer Wright commanded Company K of the 31st Infantry Regiment during the Korean War and is past National Commander of the 31st Infantry Regiment Association. Mary is an accomplished marksman, pilot, writer, and painter, as well as a living treasury of memories of an aspect of American history generally overlooked by historians.

Postscript

The famous Shanghai Bowl that today graces regimental headquarters at Ft Drum, NY followed the regiment to Manila in July 1932. When Bataan fell to the Japanese in April 1942, the bowl and cups were buried on the nearby island of Corregidor, where they were retrieved after the war. When the 31st Infantry was sent from Japan to participate in the Inchon landing in Korea in September 1950, the bowl and cups were sent back to the U.S. for safekeeping in a bank vault in Seattle. It returned to Korea after the war and remained there with the regiment until 1974, when it was transferred to the 2d Battalion at Ft Ord, California. In 1987, when the 2d Battalion was inactivated, the bowl was transferred to the 4th Battalion at Ft Sill, Oklahoma where it remained until June 1995 when the last company of the 31st Infantry on active duty was inactivated. It was kept on display at the Infantry Museum at Ft Benning until the 4th Battalion was reactivated at Ft Drum, NY in April 1996. Today, the Shanghai Bowl and cups are a treasured part of the regiment's history and an enduring reflection of the bond between the regiment and its families