In the spring of 1937, Clara moved to the French Concession, one of two foreign settlements in Shanghai. The International Settlement and the French Concession had been populated for a century by refugees from natural disasters and human conflicts. Encompassing six square miles with a population of two million in 1937, these two settlements were protected because of their “extraterritorial” status.1
5 Avenue Petain
Shanghai, China
April 9, 1937
The other morning I went over to the neighbor’s house to wait for him (I ride to work with him every morning), and as I sat on the steps I felt something brushing against me. I turned to find a large black and white cat, which I proceeded to fondle and pet for all I was worth…. When the neighbor came out, I asked if it was his cat; he said it belonged to General Chiang Kai Chek who lives next door! I didn’t know I was petting the cat of probably the greatest man in China today! (Gettin’ up in the world!)
Clara was right to think of her neighbor as the greatest man in China. Time magazine named General Chiang Kai-shek and Madame Chiang Kai-shek Man and Wife of the Year in 1937 for unifying China and giving it a national consciousness. It is worth noting that Madame Chiang, also known as Soong Mei-Ling, was
