Snijders’ second Indies journey (September–December 1928) was the retired Generaal C. J. Snijders’s return to Nederlandsch-Indië to attend the festive opening of the K.N.I.L.M. lines on 1 November 1 November 1928 at the airfield Tjikolitan near Meester Cornelis. The journey was undertaken at the invitation of the Bestuur of the Indische Vereeniging Luchtvaart, which offered to pay for the journey and the stay of about one month in the Indies. The arrival at Tanjung Priok on 12 October 12 October had the character of a triumphant return — a thousand-headed crowd, a military band, and circling aircraft welcomed Snijders at the quay. The Legercommandant placed Kapitein van den Generalen Staf A. G. van Tricht at his disposal as adjudant for the duration of his stay.
The Invitation and Acceptance
On 9 June 9 June 1928 Snijders received a telegram from Weltevreden:
“Bestuur Indische Vereeniging Luchtvaart, waardeerend Uwe groote verdiensten luchtvaartgebied, uitnoodigt U opening Indische luchtlijnen 1 September bijwonen. Aanbieden reis Indië en terug Holland onze rekening, alsmede verblijfkosten ongeveer één maand. Verzoeke tijdig seinen uitnoodiging geaccepteerd. VAN ZALINGE voorzitter. GROENEVELD MEYER secretaris.”
Snijders accepted by return: “Diep getroffen schitterend blijk waardeering aanvaard uitnoodiging dankbaar. PLESMAN mededeelt opening wellicht uitgesteld. Brief volgt. SNIJDERS.” He sailed on 19 September 19 September on the Christian Huygens and arrived at Tanjung Priok on 12 October 12 October.
The Opening of the K.N.I.L.M. Lines
On 1 November 1 November 1928 at 7 a.m. the festive inauguration of the K.N.I.L.M. lines took place at the airfield Tjikolitan near Meester Cornelis. Snijders, as adviseur of the company, delivered one of his “kernachtige redevoeringen” — concise speeches — and then made several flights Weltevreden–Bandoeng and Weltevreden–Simongan (the airfield near Semarang), thus seeing the crown set on a major part of his life’s work.
Further Engagements
At his departure from Semarang Snijders was honoured by an enthusiastic huldiging organised by a large number of oud-gemobiliseerden from the surroundings under the leadership of the chairman of the Nationale Bond “Het Mobilisatiekruis” in Nederlandsch-Indië, with gifts from the Djokja section. On 18 October 18 October he attended the centenary of the Koninklijke Militaire Academie at Weltevreden, and on 10 November 10 November — the day before the tenth anniversary of the armistice of 1918 — a mobilisation commemoration at Surabaya. He then spent a week as the guest of the Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij on Bali, where he visited Princess Genoveva, the only surviving member of the former Balinese royal house, which had otherwise destroyed itself after the Bali-expedition of 1894. On Sumatra the Vereeniging van Nederlandsch-Indische Officieren on Sumatra’s Oostkust gave him a splendid reception at Medan, and as the guest of the Delegeerd-Commissaris of the Deli-Maatschappij, Mr. Enthoven, he made an excursion to Lake Toba. He returned by the Semboro at the end of the year.
See Also
- Cornelis Jacobus Snijders
- K.N.I.L.M.
- K.L.M.
- Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij
- Koninklijke Militaire Academie
- Vereeniging voor Luchtvaart
- Snijders’ 1920 visit to Atjeh
- Snijders’ third Indies journey (1929)
- Weltevreden
- Bandoeng
- Surabaya
- Semarang
- Medan
- Tandjong Priok
- Bali
- 1928
Source
D. van den Berg, Cornelis Jacobus Snijders (1852–1939): Een leven in dienst van zijn Land en zijn Volk (Voorburg: September 1944), pp. 134–135. Koninklijke Bibliotheek shelfmark 0301 4872.