U.S. OFFICIAL ASSAILS PLAN TO SHUT SHIPYARD

A State Department official criticized Poland's decision to close the Lenin shipyard, saying Monday the United States understands the frustration felt by the Solidarity union and its threats to call strikes.

The Polish Government announced last week it was closing the shipyard in Gdansk, Solidarity's birthplace and stronghold. Government spokesman Jerzy Urban said Saturday the decision was "final and irreversible.""We understand the frustration which prompted Solidarity to call for protests this month. The government of Poland's decision to close the Lenin shipyard seems particularly unfortunate at this time," said State Department spokesman Charles Redman, who also lamented the stalled process of setting up a broad "roundtable" of negotiations between the Communist Party and Solidarity.

Solidarity leader Lech Walesa said he would continue talks that started in September with Interior Minister Gen. Czeslaw Kiszczak only when the shipyard reopened.