--- title: 'Dit is te bereiken: een eervol bestaan, een behoorlijk tractement (This Can Be Achieved: An Honourable Existence, a Decent Salary), Royal Netherlands East Indies Army recruitment' url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/dit-is-te-bereiken-knil-recruitment-1938/ description: A one-page recruitment poster for the colonial army. A soldier in tropical helmet and puttees stands at attention beside the headline 'This can be… section: Collection --- [Collection](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/) [![Dit is te bereiken: een eervol bestaan, een behoorlijk tractement (This Can Be Achieved: An Honourable Existence, a Decent Salary), Royal Netherlands East Indies Army recruitment](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/dit-is-te-bereiken-knil-recruitment-1938.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/dit-is-te-bereiken-knil-recruitment-1938.jpg) # Dit is te bereiken: een eervol bestaan, een behoorlijk tractement (This Can Be Achieved: An Honourable Existence, a Decent Salary), Royal Netherlands East Indies Army recruitment A one-page recruitment poster for the colonial army. A soldier in tropical helmet and puttees stands at attention beside the headline 'This can be achieved: an honourable existence, a decent salary', a boxed pay scale 'since 1 January 1938' from private to second lieutenant, and the statement that the youngest soldier receives 5.25 guilders pocket money a week with food, clothing, bed, doctor and medicines free. The tell: the sheet gives pay and free provisions and nothing else about the service (card-stacking), and 'honourable existence' stands in for it (glittering generalities). ## Text on the object Original (Dutch) · read from the image, not independently checked ``` DIT IS TE BEREIKEN EEN EERVOL BESTAAN- EEN BEHOORLIJK TRACTEMENT. HET KONINKLIJK NEDERLANDSCH- INDISCHE LEGER BIEDT HET U TRACTEMENTEN SINDS 1 JANUARI 1938 Soldaat 2e kl. van f 0.75 tot f 1.-- per dag Soldaat 1e kl. van f 0.85 tot f 1.55 per dag Brigadier (korp.) van f 1.15 tot f 1.85 per dag Sergeant van f 185.-- tot f 290.-- per maand Sergeant-maj. van f 190.-- tot f 330.-- per maand Adj.-onderoff. van f 200.-- tot f 375.-- per maand Onderluitenant van f 220.-- tot f 500.-- per maand Dit wil zeggen, dat de jongste soldaat in Indië per week aan ZAKGELD f 5.25 ontvangt. Immers, voeding, kleeding, ligging, dokter en medicijnen heeft hij vrij. Onderofficieren hebben alleen dokter en medicijnen vrij (ook voor het gezin). OORDEELT THANS ZELF OVER DEZE VOORUITZICHTEN Het Koninklijk Nederlandsch-Indische Leger kan steeds FLINKE, GOED OPPASSENDE jongemannen van 18 tot 30 jaar (ongehuwd) gebruiken. Vraagt inlichtingen omtrent de dienstneming bij de INFANTERIE, CAVALERIE, ARTILLERIE, GENIE en den HOSPITAALDIENST aan den COMMANDANT van de KOLONIALE RESERVE te NIJMEGEN. KONINKLIJK NEDERLANDSCH-INDISCH LEGER ``` English translation (machine translation by Claude, not verified by a fluent reader) ``` THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED AN HONOURABLE EXISTENCE - A DECENT SALARY. THE ROYAL NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES ARMY OFFERS IT TO YOU SALARIES SINCE 1 JANUARY 1938 Private 2nd class: from f 0.75 to f 1.-- per day Private 1st class: from f 0.85 to f 1.55 per day Brigadier (corporal): from f 1.15 to f 1.85 per day Sergeant: from f 185.-- to f 290.-- per month Sergeant-major: from f 190.-- to f 330.-- per month Adjutant-NCO: from f 200.-- to f 375.-- per month Second lieutenant: from f 220.-- to f 500.-- per month This means that the youngest soldier in the Indies receives f 5.25 per week in POCKET MONEY. For he has food, clothing, lodging, doctor and medicines free. Non-commissioned officers have only doctor and medicines free (also for the family). SO JUDGE FOR YOURSELF THESE PROSPECTS The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army can always use SMART, WELL-BEHAVED young men aged 18 to 30 (unmarried). Ask for information about enlistment in the INFANTRY, CAVALRY, ARTILLERY, ENGINEERS and the HOSPITAL SERVICE from the COMMANDER of the COLONIAL RESERVE at NIJMEGEN. ROYAL NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES ARMY ``` Read from the 1280 px Commons rendering; a pencil mark over one figure in the pay table (adjutant-NCO maximum) is read as 375. Spacing of the table columns is approximate. Translation is FRAME's own literal rendering, machine-assisted and not verified by a fluent reader. [← "Credere Obbedire Combattere": a school group photograph, Mirandola, 1938](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/credere-obbedire-combattere-mirandola-1938/) [Eesti rahwas, hoia kokku! (Estonian people, hold together!): Rahvarinne election leaflet →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/eesti-rahvas-hoia-kokku-rahvarinne-1938/) ## Using the same techniques - [Bayeux Tapestry, scene 23: UBI HAROLD SACRAMENTVM FECIT VVILLELMO DVCI](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/bayeux-tapestry-harold-oath-to-william-1070/) (Kingdom of England · 1070 · Transfer, Card stacking) - [Passional Christi und Antichristi: the emperor kisses the pope's foot (leaf 'Antichristus')](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/passional-christi-antichristi-emperor-kisses-pope-1521/) (Electoral Saxony · 1521 · Name-calling, Card stacking) - [The Bloody Massacre perpetrated in King Street Boston on March 5th 1770 by a party of the 29th Regt.](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/revere-bloody-massacre-king-street-1770/) (Province of Massachusetts Bay · Mar 1770 · Name-calling, Card stacking). Content note: Hand-coloured engraving of bloodied dead and wounded colonists after soldiers fired on a crowd. - [The Virginia Argus, "Letter to Mazzei" and rebuttal, 16 September 1800](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/virginia-argus-letter-to-mazzei-1800/) (United States · Sep 16, 1800 · Name-calling, Card stacking) - [The Examiner, No. 608, 22 August 1819, 'Disturbances at Manchester' (Peterloo)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/examiner-disturbances-at-manchester-1819/) (United Kingdom · Aug 22, 1819 · Card stacking) - [Punch, 'Laurels at Ningpo' column on the First Opium War, 1842](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/punch-laurels-at-ningpo-1842/) (United Kingdom · 1842 · Card stacking). Content note: Period satirical prose describing the killing of Chinese soldiers at Ningpo in graphic terms, using period terms such as 'pig-tail' for Chinese people. - [La paz según el Perú – La paz según los chilenos (Peace According to Peru, Peace According to the Chileans)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/la-paz-segun-el-peru-el-banquillo-1880/) (Peru · Jun 12, 1880 · Card stacking) - [New York Journal and Advertiser, front page, 17 February 1898 ($50,000 reward, Maine 'work of an enemy')](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/ny-journal-maine-destroyed-enemy-1898/) (United States · Feb 17, 1898 · Card stacking)