In 1961, West Germany's Free Democratic Party won a surprising 12.8% of the popular voteand a junior partnership in the coalition governmentbehind the cry for greater independence and self-assertion of Germany as a nation. This election year, the two larger German parties have also discovered the campaign value of "the new national consciousness," but as the man who started the ball rolling, the Free Democrats' dapper leader, Erich Mende, 48, is ideally situated to get maximum yardage out of the issue.
He is losing no opportunity to do so. At a state convention...
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