Dutch Flood Damage
Put at $265 Million
By the Associated Press
THE HAGUE, The Nether-
lands, Feb. 12.Dutch Prime
Minister Dr. Willem Drees yes
terday put the first official esti
mate of the damage from last
week's disastrous floods in Hol
land at one billion guilders.
With the guilder buying as
much in this country as the dol
lar does in the United States,
this would put the actual esti
mated damage at the same num.
ber of dollars. But converted
at the official exchange rate of
slightly more than 26 cents, the
amount represents about $265
million.
Mr. Drees told Parliament the
Dutch Ambassador in Washing
ton has been instructed to in
form the United States, however,
that this new and unexpected
burden on the Dutch economy
will not in any way influence
Holland's denfense build-up
commitments under the North
Atlantic Treaty.
About one-sixth of Holland's
rich below-sea-level land was
inundated last week when hur-
ncane-swept North Sea tides
burst the ancient dikes. Hun
dreds of villages and farms now
lie under several feet of destruc
tive salt water whicheven
when drained offwill leave
large food-producing areas a
wasteland for some time to come.
Almost 1,400 lives were lost.
