Speaking on "Why Boston Hates Harvard" before an American Civilization group in the Adams House Upper Common Room last night, Boston City Councilman Robert A. Norton blamed this feeling of animosity on the fact that the community does not know Harvard and the University is "uppity" in its attitude to the outside.

"I have always felt that it was up to Harvard to bend the knee," he said, urging the mending of the "cleavage" between Town and Gown. Granville Hicks '23, Counselor in American History, presided at the talk.

"I should think Harvard would take the lead since they're the educated people," Noron declared. "They should send someone down to the City Council when something about Harvard comes up the give them the right steer on it." Instead, he claimed, the present aloof official attitude perpetuates the misunderstanding between the two elements.

He told how he had once asked a certain Jerry O'Brien who has lived a stone's throw from Harvard for 50 years why he hated the University. "It isn't a question of me hating them," he replied, "it's Harvard hating me."

Harvard Valuable to City

Remaking that Greater Boston has more Irish in it than Dublin and more Roman Catholics than Rome Norton commented on the temperamental dislike which the "vocal, aggressive, domineering" Irishmen have for the "Harvard Protestants."

But, he said, there is no reason why this should continue if both sides make efforts to understand each other, and he suggested placing students in local homes to live as a means to this, praising Hitler for making students in Germany live with poor families.

Norton estimated highly the value of Harvard to the city of Cambridge. "You take Harvard out of Cambridge and you might as well close up the city, expect for the water-front," he said.

He expressed amazement at the close margin by which Plan e failed on Tuesday's referendum, describing it as "a marvelous victory." Ten years ago it would have been beaten by from 5,000 to 10,000 votes, he estimated.

"The feeling against Harvard can be alleviated on a thousand different fronts. Harvards has all the instruments to do it, and yet it lies dormant."