The latest in the line of West German leaders to call for tougher anti-terrorist measures has been the country's right-wing Opposition leader, Franz-Josef Strauss. Well-known for his outspoken stand on law and order, Herr Strauss addressed a rally of his Christian Social Union on the topic on Saturday (22 October).

SYNOPSIS: The rally was held at Munich's City Hall, and Herr Strauss got straight to the point with a reference to the deaths in prison of three of the Baader-Meinhof group. He said he was strongly opposed to lifting a ban which had prevented the three from contacting the outside world. And, while he spoke to the attentive audience, he brought the point home in another way.

For he was talking from behind a bullet-proof screen. As one of the country's most controversial right-wing leaders Herr Strauss could be a target for terrorists, but his main point was that terrorism had reached a stage in West Germany where such precautions had become necessary. Before the latest terrorist activities the Christian Social Union had drawn-up a working paper entitled "Freedom, law and order, or Insecurity, fear and terror." It outlined demands for tighter security and the party hopes these will now be widely supported by the West German people.