KLEFFENS, EELCO NICOLAAS VAN

(1894–1983)

Diplomat and Liberalstatesman. After studying law at LeidenUniversity, van Kl effens started his career in the service of the League of Nations, then worked for Shell and for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1939, he became nonpartisan minister of that department. When Nazi Ger many declared war on the Netherlands, he went with the govern ment into exile in London. In 1943, van Kleffens pleaded in a radio speech for an Atlantic alliance such as the North Atlantic Treaty Or ganization (NATO) would become. After the war, he served the gov ernment as ambassador (to the United States and Portugal) and was a Dutch representative in international organizations such as the United Nations Safety Council, NATO, the Organization for Eco nomic Cooperation and Development, and the European Coal and Steel Community. Van Kleffens was Dutch minister of state begin ning in 1950, and in 1954–1955, he was president of the United Na tions General Assembly. KLM. Royal Dutch Airlines (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij) was founded in 1919 under the direction of Albert Plesman (1889–1953). It is now the oldest existing airline company. KLM has steadily expanded: it was the first airline to fly to Batavia (Indone sia) in 1929, and in 1934, to the West Indies. In 2004, KLM became a subsidiary of Air France, although its independent identity was guaranteed until 2009. The headquarters of Air France–KLM is lo cated near Paris. KLM’s network is one of the largest in the world, comprising some 160 cities in about 75 countries.