Atlanta Daily World

Thompson To Go.
Easy
And Await
Court
Ruling
On Governor's Row
Confusion Still
Paralyzing To
Entire State

Atlanta Ministers
Hit Dictatorship
As Grave Peril

Amid a continuing welter of confusion and chaos in the gubernatorial wrangle, events moved with lightning like pace Monday as State Attorney General Cook announced that he would go down the line with M. E. Thompson as the Chief Executive of Georgia and would substitute his name on the litigation already filed to oust the Talmadge forces.

Other swift moving events included a surprised move by Mr. Thompson who Monday, took oath, first as Lieutenant Governor and as acting governor.

After a sharp debate. The House of Representatives voted 88 to 64 to invite Herman Talmadge to address a joint session of the General Assembly at noon Tuesday as Governor. The Senate concurred after similar debate. Herman Talmadge, meanwhile steadfastly refused to give up the Governor's chair Monday and insisted that "Ellis Arnall is a dead issue."

From the Atlanta scene Monday, thirty-six Methodist ministers issued public a statement condemning Herman Talmadge's "seizure" of the governor office and the Governor's Mansion as "dictatorship of the worst order."

"We the undersigned Methodist ministers, view with great alarm the present situation in Georgia concerning the governorship." the Methodists said. "It appears to us that the seizure of the governor's office and of the governor's Mansion by troops is dictatorship of the worst order.

"Our very homes are insecure when a small group of men can flagrantly disregard the fundamental rights of the people as a whole, and by force, place a man in the office and mansion of the governor. We urge all freedom-loving Georgians to rise up against such un-American tactics. Georgia will be in grave danger until this awful wrong has been set aside and law once more reigns."

Governor Herman Talmadge and acting Governor M. E. Thompson- the latter with the official backing of Attorney General Eugene Cook in their meeting Monday morning amicably agreed to let the courts decide the constitutional question of who is governor, and to abide by that decision.

The agreement was reached when acting Governor Thompson appeared in the executive offices and formally demanded of Governor Talmadge that he surrender the position of Chief Executive.

"You have no right to claim this office. There is no vacancy. The Assembly of Georgia has elected me Governor."