MASS OBSERVATION Snt,—In " People and Things " of September
22nd, wise and witty as ever, Mr. Harold Nicolson used a slightly mislead- ing phrase. He wrote, " I should imagine that if Mass.Obser- vation were still functioning, Mr. Tom Harrisson and Mr. Madge would find that this phrase (sc., ' I simply cannot stand hanging about doing nothing ') was almost universal."
Mass Observation is still functioning. It has not been " hanging about doing nothing." A week before war broke out our whole energies were turned towards the study of national morale and the factors that make and break it. We have been able to compare our peace-time facts and figures with those that obtain under the new conditions, and we are now working out an accurate " morale barometer " which sets war-time reactions and statistics against those of peace. Mass Observation never has been more active, and, happily for u', some official interest is being taken in our work, which
we hope, enable us to carry on and bring out of this War real and objective record of it —Yours very truly, CHARLES MADGE.
85 Davenport Street, Bolton, Lancs. Tom HARRISSON.
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