Jul
uliana, Leading Mourning,
Rallies the Dutch to Rebuild
YORK TIME!
FEB 9 1953
Queen Thanks Free World
for Flood ReliefHails
Unity of Her Nation
By DANIEL L. SCHORR
Special to The New York Times.
THE HAGUE, the Netherlands,
Feb. 8One week after their worst
flood in five centuries, 10,500,000
Dutchexcept those engaged in
rescue and repairpaused today
for a day of national mourning
for the 1,372 officially recorded
dead and the hundreds missing.
Queen Juliana, her voice heavy
with sorrow, said in a broadcast:
"So soon after the worst of all
wars the world has ever known we
are struck by this disaster, which
this time, however, was not caused
by human corruption."
The Queen added: "Even our
highly developed technical knowl
edge was unable to avert disaster
at a critical moment. It was de
feated by what was to be our fate
and which consequently could
never be staved off by man."
But the catastrophe, the Queen
declared, has restored the "perfect
unity" of wartime. She asked her
people to carry out reconstruction
"with solidarity shining from our
eyes."
Paying tribute to foreign aid,
she said: "The deeper the misery
caused by the losses sustained the
Associated Press
Queen Juliana
deeper we feel the fraternity of
mankind, which found an echo in
the breasts of people far beyond
the borders of our country. We
are grateful to meet this spirit in
all parts of the free world."
Flags flew at half staff an$
special church services were held
throughout the Netherlands. But
in the stricken region no church
bells sounded. The bells had tolled
early last Sunday to alarm the
population as the dikes crumbled,
and it was feared that panic would
result if they pealed so soon again.
Even during this Sunday of
mourning the rescue of refugees,
transport of supplies by air and
strengthening of the dikes con
tinued under the pressure of fear
that should the next spring tide,
on Feb. 16, coincide with another
storm, new devastation might be
caused by the crumbling of weak
ened defenses. A spring tide is an
I unusually high tide at new or full
moon.
Freshly fallen snow hindered the
work. The Dutch Army broadcast
to isolated communities asking
them to clear landing strips for
helicopters, most of which are
American and British.
Government Turns to Finance
With about 60,000 moved out of
the flooded region and emergency
evacuation drawing to a close, the
Government and Parliament will
begin this week to tackle the
financial consequences of the dis-
aster, whose cost has been roughly
estimated at $200,000,000 to $500,-
000,000.
The Government's first, move is
expected to be cancellation of
long-awaited tax cuts, however
much protest may result in Par
liament.
Official sources emphasize that
there is no intention of cutting
back on defense commitments.
Army exercises scheduled for next
month have been called off, but
this action is attributed to the
emergency situation.
The picture of what aid will be
asked from the United States is
not yet clear. There appears to be
a disposition to avoid asking for a
resumption of direct dollar grants
if possible.
However, a move being consid
ered would have somewhat the
same effectasking Washington
to amend regulations so as to free
for Dutch use the 10 per cent of
guilder counterpart of previous
grants reserved for purchase of
strategic materials. Counterpart
funds are local currency set aside
to match United States aid. This
reserve is estimated at more than
$10,000,000 and its release would
probably require an amendment to
the mutual security act.
As to the remaining counterpart
fund, of which 900,000,000 guilders
(about $250,000,000) is available
but has been frozen by the govern
ment to avoid inflationary pres
sure, there seems to be no great
enthusiasm about using it even if
the Mutual Security Agency should
give permission. Dutch experts say
that from a. financial viewpoint
this action would have the same
inflationary effect as printing new
money.
