TO U, S. AID ROSTER
NEW YORK TIMES
FEB 7
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Ask to Rejoin Program They
Left Last WeekPresident
Names Dulles Relief Head
Special to The New York Times.
THE HAGUE, the Netherlands,
Feb. 6The flood-ravaged Nether
lands sadly asked Secretary of
State John Foster Dulles and Har-
old E. Stassen, Mutual Security
Director, today to put her back on
the United States aid list, from
which she had crossed herself off
only last week.
The subject was raised by the
:two Dutch Foreign Ministers,
Johan Beyen and Joseph M. Luns,
in a conference at the Foreign
Ministry. Mr. Dulles and Mr. Stas
sen, who arrived here from Bonn
on their tour of Western Europe,
expressed sympathy with the Dutch
position and said the question was
under study in Washington. There
was no discussion of the nature
and 'extent of the proposed aid
program.
Defense Commitments Unchanged
The Dutch Government is pre
paring to present concrete pro
posals after it has been able to
assess the flood damage, which is
still unclear, being estimated at
from $120,000,000 to $500,000,000.
Apparently, however, the Dutch
were referring' not only to flood
relief but also to economic aid.
It is 'understood the Dutch made
no suggestion of wishing to cut
back their defense commitments
of $400,000,000 annually but did
make it clear that the floods had
changed the economic premises on
which their policies were based.
Apart from the flood's cost to
the Dutch, it will affect their in
ternational payments balance. The
inundated region provided $85,000,-
000 worth of farm produce an
nually, most of it exported.
Furthermore, the need of recon
struction material will mean an in
crease in import requirements.
Leaving the conference with
the Dutch ministers, Mr. Dulles
referred questioners about flood
aid to Mr. Stassen, who said,
"There's no announcement on that
yet," but added that the Mutual
Security Agency had adopted a
policy of giving whatever assist
ance was possible to the three
flood-affected countriesthe Neth
erlands, Britain and Belgium.
Mr. Dulles was informed here|
that he had been appointed by,]
President- Eisenhower as head of
the Cabinet's committee on flood
assistance, but he withheld com
ment pending direct word from the
White House.
Dulles Voices Sadness
Arriving at Amsterdam Airport
this morning, he expressed "sad
ness because of the great tragedy
which has stricken your land" and
extended "on behalf of our govern
ment and the American people out
most heartfelt sympathy in your
plight."
Mr. Dulles and Mr. Stassen had
flown over the flood area on their
way here but did not see much of
it because of overcast skies and
because it was decided to fly high
enough to avoid interference with
the supply airlift.
They called on Queen Juliana
at her palace. Later at the home
of Ambassador Selden Chapin,
where they are staying, they re
ceived an unscheduled call from
Prince Bernhard, chairman of the
Dutch National Disaster Fund.
Tonight British engineers work
ing on evacuation reported they
had seen no more signs of life
^the flooded area.
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