Shanghai Revisited

Shanghai Revisited

Our commander, Vin Zike recently had the privilege to speak with Mary Elizabeth Wright Neil. Mary is the daughter of CPT Robert Wright, a 31st Infantry commander and the sister of Homer Wright, also a 31st Infantryman in Korea and one of the past commanders of the 31st Infantry Regiment Association. Mary wrote an article about her experience in Shanghai during the 1930's and her trip back to Shanghai in 2006. We hope you enjoy the article.

Shanghai Revisited

By Mary Elizabeth Wright Neil

Spring 2007

Shanghai, when I first saw it in 1932, was primitive but not entirely. They had hotels and first-rate sewers under the city streets. There were rickshas, now

motorized scooters and taxi cabs, everywhere. (If some of you don’t know what that is, I refer you to the dictionary, see Jinricksha.) My dad, Colonel Robert L. Wright,

then Captain, 31st Inf. was a Company Commander. I can’t remember which company but it is on his cup with the Shanghai Bowl. We had arrived in Manila about September or early October 1931. By mid - January 1932, the 31st was mobilized and since the USS Republic was in port, the entire regiment was put aboard to sail for Shanghai where the International settlement was concerned that the Japanese who were trying to conquer the Chinese in the Chapei sector of Shanghai would break out of Chapei and into the International sector. They (the 31st) arrived a week later and were marched with full equipment from “The Bund” to the Racetrack where they pitched their tents on the Infield. Three months later the wives and families were allowed to join them, however, not in tents, but in the Cathy Mansions Hotel, in a large suite of rooms. The exchange rate was about 750 yuan to the US Dollar which made it almost affordable even on a Captain’s salary at that time. Oddly enough the exchange rate was about the same on my trip in November, 2006-- but it’s creeping up.

My parents discovered the American Mission School was not very far and proceeded to send my brother and me there. My brother, Homer A. Wright, who was with the 31st in Korea and was one of the past commanders of the Association can be seen with me in the photo with Ah-Wong our ricksha boy on our way to school on May 4, 1932.

The ship we took from Manila to Shanghai was one of the best of the President Lines cruise ships which plied the Pacific ports at that time. We did not travel first class

but the Colonel’s Lady did, but we weren’t in steerage either. It pulled into the Wang-pu River which served as a harbor for Shanghai. It was dark-- but all the Dads

of families arriving were on the “Tender” that made its way out to our ship. Our suitcases were off-loaded on to a “Tender” and eventually we were as well. After hugs

all around we were put in rickshas along with our bags, and the parade began. Fortunately, Dad had already arranged for the rooms at the Cathy Mansions so there was

no delay in getting us to our beds at that late hour.

We were in a new foreign country, the second in less than six months, where parts of it were like New York or Paris and others were very primitive. Chinese families

tended to live in empty store fronts and use the curb for their basic necessities.

So after the Communists took over China and purged so much foreign influence from the Brits, Italians, French, Germans and Americans, I was, during my recent trip, really interested to see again what changes had been made! There were plenty. The streets were clean, including the curbs. Shopping was still excellent or better (more

organized perhaps), shipping still arrived in the Wang-pu harbor but the passenger ships were no more. They had been replaced by a beautiful International Airport and

an entirely new city opposite “The Bund.” (See the skyline photo). The Soochow creek has been cleaned up. It had shore to shore “sampans” in 1932 with

people living on them all their lives—sort of a floating slum. These are now all gone. There had been a distinct odor of sewage whenever you came near because of all the sewage generated by the sampan people and the upstream dumping of sewage from the main sewers of the city. There is still a faint odor as one walks along the sidewalks of the old city. I determined that this came from the vents in the side walk that must have been built before the 1930’s. Our guide for my tour when asked about where the sampans were on the Soochow Creek gave the answer very simply, “What is a sampan?” So I have concluded that the new generation, that have never known anything but communism have not been taught their history. They never knew that the 31st had been sent in to act as a buffer between the Chinese and the Japanese, when the Japanese were trying to invade China and had attacked the Chapei sector of Shanghai in 1931. They withdrew in 1932 after the 31st came in.

In June or July of 1932 the USS Republic again arrived in Shanghai to take the Regiment and families back to Manila. The Brits gave the best farewell with their

bagpipes, kilts, and marching band coming from somewhere in Shanghai out to “The Bund” to see us off. I have been told that they were all grateful to the Regiment for its quick (?) response to their perceived need.

The last picture is of a rest room in a fashionable restaurant in downtown Shanghai. I hope you see the humor!! Shanghai is truly Modern (?) but still the Paris of the

Orient -- with Communist overtones

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