Upperclassmen living in the Yard are refusing rooms in the Houses and are snagging efforts to clear Freshmen from the Indoor Athletic Building, Associate Dean Watson has disclosed.

In a warning to the 150 upperclassmen currently residing in Grays and Wigglesworth halls, Watson said Wednesday they had better accept any House offers made them, because "there's a very good chance we might have to force them to move in February."

Approximately 50 Yard-dwelling upperclassmen have been offered suites in Houses this year, the Housing Office has estimated.

Only Nine Accept

In the past week, only nine men have accepted the offers, it was revealed.

The Office said yesterday that the men are refusing offers of House accommodations primarily because they will have to separate--at least temporarily--from their present roommates.

Roommates have been offered either rooms in separate Houses or separate rooms in the same Houses.

A bottleneck has resulted, Dean Watson explained, adding that the 20 men now remaining in the gym are temporarily stalemated there.

"We are definitely committed to put the Freshmen back in the Yard," he said. Those Yearlings now living in Claverly and Apley--in addition to those now in the gym--will be moved to Yard dormitories by February.

There are between 40 and 65 Freshmen in these dormitories.

May Have to Move

Upperclassmen still in the Yard at mid-year "may very well have to be moved," Dean Watson explained, in order to make room for the men of '52. These upperclassmen will be placed either in the Houses--if rooms are available--or in the so-called "outside dormitories" at Apley and Claverly

"We don't think it is desirable for the Freshmen to be living in the outside dormitories," he said.

Most of these displaced yearlings, he declared, are living with men far elder than themselves. When the exodus is made in February, these Freshmen will be put in Grays and Wigglesworth rooms vacated by upperclassmen.