FRANCE AN ISLAND FLING FRANCE'S PREMIER MICHEL DEBRE LAST WEEK RUSHED FROM 
HUMILIATING OBSCURITY BACK TO THE VERY CENTER OF FRENCH POLITICAL LIFE 
. EASED OUT OF OFFICE BY PRESIDENT CHARLES DE GAULLE IN 
1962 AND REPLACED BY GEORGES POMPIDOU, DEBRE HAD SEEMED PERMANENTLY RELEGATED 
TO THE SHADOWS LAST NOVEMBER WHEN HE RAN AS A CANDIDATE 
FOR THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IN A SUPPOSEDLY SAFE CONSTITUENCY AND, DESPITE 
A GAULLIST LANDSLIDE, WAS SOLIDLY BEATEN BY A LOCAL GARAGE OWNER 
. BUT DEBRE WAS DETERMINED TO TRY AGAIN, EVEN THOUGH HE 
HAD TO TRAVEL 6,000 MILES TO FRENCH-OWNED REUNION ISLAND, A TINY 
VOLCANIC ROCK IN THE INDIAN OCEAN, WHERE A BY-ELECTION OFFERED ANOTHER 
OPPORTUNITY TO RUN FOR THE ASSEMBLY . THE DOUR, FUSSY DEBRE 
TOOK NO CHANCES . HE FLEW TO THE CAPITAL CITY OF 
ST.-DENIS AND CAMPAIGNED VIGOROUSLY, HOLDING 70 MEETINGS IN THREE STEAMING, SWEATY 
WEEKS . AS WAS CONFIDENTLY PREDICTED, DEBRE SWAMPED HIS LUCKLESS OPPONENT 
30,908 TO 7,365, PARTLY THROUGH THE REUNION TACTIC KNOWN AS THE 
" PROMENADE, " IN WHICH OPPOSITION VOTERS ARE SENT FRUITLESSLY FROM 
POLLING PLACE TO POLLING PLACE, BEING TOLD AT EACH THAT THEY 
ARE NOT REGISTERED THERE . DE GAULLE NOW VIEWS DEBRE WITH 
A MORE KINDLY EYE THAN HE DID DURING HIS PREMIERSHIP A 
YEAR AGO ; ACCORDING TO WAGGISH PARIS COMMENT, POMPIDOU WAS LIKE 
A MISTRESS WHOM DE GAULLE SAW WITH PLEASURE, BUT WHO LOST 
MANY OF HIS CHARMS WHEN HE BECAME LA LEGITIME, THAT IS, 
WIFE . IF DE GAULLE GIVES THE EXPECTED NOD, MICHEL DEBRE 
WILL TAKE OVER THE JOB OF PRESIDENT OF THE GAULLIST U.N.R 
. FACTION IN THE ASSEMBLY AND EMPLOY HIS UNDENIABLE TALENTS IN 
DEALING WITH THE INEFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP, POOR ORGANIZATION AND INTERNAL FRICTION THAT 
HAVE RECENTLY PLAGUED THE PARTY 