Jan Herman Roijan was born on 10. Apr. 1905 at Istanbul, Turkey. He was the son of
Jan Herman Roijan and
Albertina Taylor Winthrop. Jan Herman Roijan was Counselor to the Netherands Legation at Tokyo, Japan. He resided at at The Hague, South Holland, Netherlands. He died on 16. Mar. 1991 at Wassenaar, South Holland, Netherlands, at age 85.
ROIJEN, Jan Herman (1905-1991)
Roijen, Jan Herman van, diplomat and minister (Constantinople (Turkey) 10-4-1905 - Wassenaar 16-3-1991). Son of Jan Hermannus of Roijen, diplomat, and Albertina Taylor Winthrop. Married 13-12-1934 with jkvr. Anne Snouck Hurgronje birth (dob 1913). From this marriage, 2 sons and 2 daughters born.
'Nourri dans le serai' was well Herman van Roijen said, in an allusion to his birthplace and the fact that his father was a diplomat. Indeed, he brought his childhood years in the various capitals where his father was envoy: Tokyo, Madrid, Rome. Education he received from governors. Only at its seventeenth year he went to a school in the Netherlands: the Second Municipal Gymnasium in The Hague, where he did graduation in 1923.
In September of that year Roijen From left to register for the Utrecht University law school. He was an active member of the corps, which he nicknamed 'Lord' gave. According to reports, this happened because he was not the only member of his noble-year club still had to have a title. But this nickname also fit well with were all courteous and reserved action. On November 9, 1927 did Graduate From Roijen, a half years later, on April 26, 1929, followed by his PhD in Professor JHW cum laude Verzijl The thesis on the legal and international recognition of new states and de facto regime rings.
From Roijen decided in his father's footsteps and reported for the diplomatic service. Attaché in 1930 after the exam passed, he was to have traveled to Washington, where his father since 1926 held the post of envoy. It was a hard school, the harder for him because his father did not even want the appearance arouse him above others to withdraw. After two years of Roijen turned back to the Netherlands to the Secretary examination. That he succeeded in January 1933. The Chairman of the Board of Examiners called him "far primus' of the four candidates' very good, but theoretical and weighty" (E. Heldring, Memories and diary II (Groningen 1970) 1022). Then he was three years working at the Department of Diplomatic Affairs at the Hague department. In that time he learned to know his later wife, daughter of the then Secretary-General, jhr. AM Snouck Hurgronje. In 1936 Van Roijen was posted as secretary to the embassy in Tokyo, in those years a major - albeit little coveted - post, given the growing threat of Japanese aggression against the Dutch East Indies.
From early August 1939 was Roijen, 34 years old, was appointed chief of the Department of Diplomatic Affairs as the successor of EN Kleffnes of that same month, Minister of Foreign Affairs would be. As such, Van Roijen had at the time of the German invasion the actual management of the department, because the minister had gone to London and Secretary-General Snouck Hurgronje in the almost permanent income Ministerial Council meeting was replaced. In May 1940, he was responsible for the burning of the archives of the Ministry.
Already in November 1940 was Van Roijen by the Germans arrested because they were found out that his ministry illegal, at UK-based news radio messages were produced. After three months later he was released in the course of 1941 re-held and dismissed from his post. Weather at large, he continued his illegal activities. A long time was a member of the Van Roijen Vaderlandsche Committee, the body of the former representatives of political parties and prominent individuals in other areas of society. He also had contact with the German resistance against Hitler which culminated in the failed attacks of July 20, 1944. Meanwhile, he was in January 1944 for the third time arrested, but after two months re-released. Fear it will again be imprisoned, he decided not to return to their homes, but to dive.
After largely southern Netherlands was liberated, Van Roijen was the mission of the College of Trust Men go to London to view differences between the Dutch government and the Confidence Men there to solve. In October 1944 he passed by the canoe lines and he reached London, where he - with interruptions for visits to Washington and Paris liberated - until the end of the war would continue.
In the spring of 1945 Van Roijen lived as a member of the Dutch delegation to the conference in San Francisco, where the United Nations was founded. Immediately thereafter, on June 24, 1945, he was in the Cabinet-Schermerhorn-Drees minister without portfolio. It was intended that he, as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Van Kleffnes, if necessary, would be replaced. From then on Kleffnes works became, he exchanged on March 1, 1946 with him function. As Minister of Foreign Affairs was Van Roijen for the first time directly to the Indonesian issue. In April 1946 he lived as a member of the Dutch delegation at the conference in the Hoge Veluwe. There was fruitless talks with envoys of the Republic of Indonesia, in August 1945 had declared its independence.
From Roijen is only four months, Minister of Foreign Affairs had, because already on July 3, 1946 came to an end the first postwar cabinet. The Socialist leader W. Drees had Van Roijen like in the cabinet Beel (1946-1948) on Foreign Affairs, but the outgoing minister felt that such an politician deserved post - something that would happen only in 1948 - and returned in the foreign service. In April 1947 From Roijen was ambassador to Canada. Ottawa was a quiet post, but that did not mean that life for him was calmer, because while he had often Netherlands at the United Nations in New York represent. The Dutch-Indonesian complications from this task is not easy.
When the crisis with Indonesia the following year toespitste was Roijens From task even more difficult. As acting head of the Dutch delegation at the United Nations warned as early as October 1948 that, in the use of violence, the United States could promulgate sanctions, something the Netherlands, which largely depended on Marshall aid, is difficult to afford. It was decided in December to half police action, the leaders of the Republic were taken prisoner. Practically the whole world turned against the Netherlands when, his allies felt overwhelmed. The acting leader of the U.S. delegation, Ph.C. Jessup, accused The Hague of the Charter of the United Nations to have violated.
In this atmosphere had Van Roijen again defend the Dutch case. That he was not made easier by disagreement in the bosom of the Dutch government itself and because he, in good faith, sometimes had to make statements - including on the treatment of the detainee Republican leaders - subsequently proved to be untrue. Nevertheless knew his dignified, controlled action to enforce admiration of many.
The Netherlands has gradually forced his indomitable attitude towards the Indonesian nationalists to give up. When it arrived to find someone that negotiations with the Republic could easily draw, was again Van Roijen - officially still ambassador in Ottawa - the man designated. So he traveled to Jakarta in April 1949 in order to engage in talks with Mohammed Fame, the chairman of the Republican delegation. He began these negotiations from a position of weakness: the Republic had achieved a political victory, the Dutch government was uncertain, and finally Van Roijen could not support the High Representative of the Crown in Indonesia, LJM Beel, numeracy. At any given moment he had even threatened to resign. But at the end of the arc again for the Dutch government and was the force majeure on May 7, 1949 the so-called Van Roijen-Fame-agreement. Now was the way to the Round-Table Conference, which in late August to early November 1949 in The Hague was held. This would be the independence of Indonesia must seal. From Roijen expressed willingness to be one of the vice-presidents at this conference to act, but on condition that the future of western New Guinea, on which no agreement was reached, there would not lead to a break.
With New Guinea would Roijen From more than ten years later encounter. He was now in September 1950 became ambassador in Washington, and in the Netherlands since 1952 JMAH Luns was Minister of Foreign Affairs. This was a convinced opponent of transfer of the western part of New Guinea to Indonesia and was looking for this support in the United States. From Roijen spoke at an early stage in his opinion that the Netherlands is not on U.S. military aid should count in case of an Indonesian attack. Luns was however a different view and let the Cabinet and parliament unaware of the long view of its ambassador on the spot.
When in 1962 the crisis in an armed conflict threatened to walk out, however, was Van Roijen several occasions of view - based on his experience in Washington - in the Cabinet to explain. Meanwhile, he was in March of that year charged with the task became discussions with an Indonesian delegation to enter. These discussions took - under the auspices of the United Nations and chair of the American diplomat E. Bunker - location in the vicinity of Washington and led to 15 August, 1962 agreement to Dutch New Guinea to Indonesia to be transferred, via an interim administration of the United Nations.
Minister Luns, who are already not great appreciation for Van Roijen had given the - according to him - too pliant attitude of the Indonesian question he would have shown, accused Van Roijen his powers as a negotiator have gone beyond this and the government therefore presented with facts have placed. Indeed, an ambassador has never been so decisive intervention in the government as Van Roijen in the Indonesian and New Guinean issues. He met not only with gratitude, even with old friends and family. In Elseviers Weekly (18-8-1962, p. 1) said HA Lunshof him, with an allusion to the American nationality of his mother, a 'half Hollander, who only became "America not to untune."
From Roijens position but was virtually untouchable. He was ambassador to Washington, then the most important diplomatic post. The authority that he enjoyed it - apart from his lengthy stay - more than could be expected under the weight of the country that he represented. Only after fourteen years, in 1964, he left the U.S. capital, for the last six years of his active life led to the embassy in London. In 1970 Van Roijen retire and he settled in Wassenaar. One time, the government still appeal to him: when the Netherlands in October 1973 was the victim of an oil boycott of the Arab countries because of its - in their view - too pro-Israeli stance in the Yom Kippur War, he went as Ambassador to Special Mission to Saudi Arabia. His mission had no success. In the seventies, he was one of the people who princess Beatrix advised on a restructuring of the royal court after her coronation.
Unlike some fellow diplomats behaved From Roijen never haughty, patronizing or cynical. He was always courteous and appropriate, and on top a 'grand SEIGNEUR. "It showed he was an interested listener. Since Van Roijen for those reasons by the Indonesians was high, he was ideally suited to - twice - the jammed relations with them from the slop to help. But others had a high opinion of him, all came to some understanding that only long after the facts had given him the same. Among the honors he received were the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Award in 1982 and the Wateler Peace in 1983. In the United States gave the universities of the city and the state of New York and Yale University and Hofstra College in Hampstead him an honorary doctorate in law.
Roijens of realism to ditch his sense of changing social and international relations. Itself is not a member of the Party of Labor, said he sympathizer, especially because this party, according to him, if only had a certain understanding of international politics. From Roijen had an indomitable willpower to. So he gave no to the migraine attacks which he suffered for years, and held it for others hidden. From Roijen showed his courage during the German occupation and later, on a whole other way, when he was right for a rate that in his own country, even by his own ministers, in ignorance, if not resistance, period.
A: Collection of JH-Roijen in the General State Archives in The Hague.
P: The thesis mentioned in the text.
L: Except necrologieën including by JL Heldring, in NRC Handelsblad, 19-3-1991; Han Hansen, in the Volkskrant, 19-3-1991; Cees Wiebes and Bert Zeeman, 'Two independent diplomats: Dr JH van Roijen and Dr . HN Boon ', in International Spectator 46 (1992) 100-105: Indonesia in the Security Council of the United Nations (November 1948 - January 1949) (Hague 1949); idem (February-December 1949) (' s - Gravenhage 1950); Examination of JH van Roijen, in Report on the results of the investigation [of the] Government Inquiry 1940-1945 Vc (Hague 1950) 630-633 and other parts, passim; Alastair M. Taylor, Indonesian independence and the United Nations (London 1960); The Free People, 20-8-1962 (p. 4), L. de Jong, The Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Second World War (14 dln; Hague 1969-1991) passim; FJFM Duynstee and J. Bosmans, The Cabinet-Schermerhorn Drees, 24 June 1945-3 July 1946 (Assen [etc.] 1977); Ide Anak Agung Gde Agung, 'Renville' as a turning point in the Dutch-Indonesian negotiations (Alphen aan den Rijn 1980); interview by D. Dijksman and J. Jansen van Galen, in H [aagse] P [ost], 21-3-1981; LGM Jaquet, Minister Stikker and transfer sovereignty to Indonesia. Netherlands at the crossroads between Asia and the West (Hague 1982); Ronald Gase, Deception or self-deception. An analysis of the Dutch New Guinea's policy on the basis of discussions with concerned politicians and diplomats (Baarn 1984), PBR de Geus, The New Guinea issue. Aspects of foreign policy and military power (Leiden 1984); HFLK of Vredenburch, Den Haag is not responding. Memories (Leiden 1985); JLR Huydecoper of Nigtevegt, New Guinea. The end of a colonial policy (The Hague 1990), Ben Koster, a lost country. The Kennedy government and the New Guinea question, 1961-1962 (Baarn 1991), Terrence C. MarkIn,'' 'Thirty days''tumult. The American-Dutch relations and the introduction of the Bunker Plan, 1962 ", in Yearbook for the History of the Dutch Foreign Policy 1994 (Hague 1994) 11-30, Hans Meijer, Den Haag - Jakarta. The Dutch-Indonesian relations, 1950-1962 (Sydney 1994); G. of Roon, Jan Herman van Roijen, a diplomat in wartime [Farewell College] (Amsterdam 1995); Bogaart MD, The period of the Cabinet-Beel, 3 July 1946-7 August 1948. Band D: Dutch East Indies (Nijmegen 1995); The Cabinet-Drees Van Schaik (1948-1951). Band C: Cold War, decolonization and integration. Under Ed Maas of PF and JMMJ Clerx (Nijmegen 1996); Arnout Molenaar, 'along the boundaries of the possible. The action of JH van Roijen diplomat in the Indonesian question, "in journal of History 113 (2000) 182-202.
I: H [aagse] P [ost], 21-3-1981, p. 27 [From Roijen in 1981. Photos by Ronald Hoeben].
JL Heldring
Original version included in: Biographical Dictionary of Holland 5 (Den Haag 2002)
Last changed on 27-08-2008.