Office of the Historian

List of abbreviations and symbols

Editor’s Note.—This list does not include standard abbreviations in common usage; unusual abbreviations of rare occurrence which are clarified at appropriate points; and those abbreviations and contractions which, although uncommon, are understandable from the context.

  • AAF, Army Air Forces
  • ADA, Atomic Development Authority
  • ADP, Airport Development Program
  • AEC, (United Nations) Atomic Energy Commission
  • AF of L, American Federation of Labor
  • A–H, Office of Assistant Secretary of State for Occupied Areas, John R. Hilldring
  • Amdel, indicator for telegrams to the Permanent United States Delegation located at the seat of the United Nations, March 1946, ff.
  • AMG, Allied Military Government
  • ARA, Office of American Republic Affairs, Department of State
  • ATC, Air Transport Command
  • The Bank, The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
  • BC, Division of British Commonwealth Affairs, Department of State
  • BOAC, British Overseas Airways Corporation
  • BOT, British Board of Trade
  • BW, Biological warfare
  • CAB, Civil Aeronautics Board
  • cirtel, circular telegram
  • CDT, Combined Development Trust
  • CFM, Council of Foreign Ministers
  • CFB, Combined Food Board
  • Con, Office of Controls, Department of State
  • Copre, indicator for telegrams from the United States Delegation to the meeting of the Preparatory Committee of the United Nations or its executive committee, London, August–December 1945
  • CPC, Combined Policy Committee
  • DA, Division of Dependent Area Affairs, Department of State
  • Delga, indicator for telegrams from the United States Delegation to the New York meeting of the General Assembly, October–December 1946
  • Delsec, indicator for telegrams from the United States Delegation to the Council of Foreign Ministers and the Paris Peace Conference, when headed by the Secretary of State
  • Delun, indicator for telegrams from the United States Delegation to the London meeting of the General Assembly, January–February 1946
  • Depcirtel, Department circular telegram
  • Deptel, Department telegram
  • ECEFP, Executive Committee on Economic Foreign Policy
  • ECITO, European Central Inland Transport Organization
  • ECOSOC, Economic and Social Council of the United Nations
  • EE, Division of Eastern European Affairs, Department of State
  • Embtel, Embassy telegram
  • ESC, Executive Secretariat of the Secretary of State’s Staff Committee
  • EUR, Office of European Affairs, Department of State
  • Eximbank, Export-Import Bank of Washington
  • FAO, Food and Agriculture Organization
  • FCN Treaty, Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation
  • FE, Office of Far Eastern Affairs, Department of State
  • FEA, Foreign Economic Administration
  • FO, Foreign Office
  • FoMin, Foreign Minister
  • FonOff, Foreign Office
  • ForOf, Foreign Office
  • The Fund, The International Monetary Fund
  • GA, General Assembly of the United Nations
  • Gadel, indicator for telegrams to the United States Delegation to the New York meeting of the General Assembly, October–December 1946
  • H.J. Res., House Joint Resolution
  • IA, Division of Special Inter-American Affairs, Department of State
  • ILO, International Labor Organization
  • IO, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Department of State
  • IRO, International Refugee Organization
  • IS, Division of International Security Affairs, Department of State
  • ITO, International Trade Organization
  • ITP, Office of International Trade Policy, Department of State
  • JCS, Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • JSSC, Joint Strategic Survey Committee of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • Le, Office of the Legal Adviser, Department of State
  • MD, Munitions Division, Department of State
  • MPR, Mongolian People’s Republic (Outer Mongolia)
  • MSC, Military Staff Committee of the United Nations Security Council
  • NAC, National Advisory Council on International Monetary and Financial Problems
  • NGO, Non-Governmental Organization
  • NE, Division of Near Eastern Affairs, Department of State
  • NEA, Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs, Department of State
  • NEI, Netherlands East Indies
  • Niact, communications indicator requiring attention by the recipient at any hour of the day or night
  • NOE, Division of Northern European Affairs, Department of State
  • OA, Division of International Organization Affairs, Department of State
  • ORI, presumably a reference to the research and intelligence function of the Department of State which was in the process of organization in the spring of 1946
  • PCA, Policy Committee on Arms and Armaments, Department of State
  • PD, Passport Division, Department of State
  • PICAO, Provisional International Civil Aviation Organization
  • Preco, indicator for telegrams to the United States Delegation to the meeting of the Preparatory Committee of the United Nations or its executive committee, London, August–December 1945
  • reDeptel, reference Department’s telegram
  • reEmbs, reference Embassy’s telegram
  • reftel, reference telegram
  • reLegtel, reference Legation’s telegram
  • reurtel, reference your telegram
  • RL, Division of American Republics Analysis and Liaison, Department of State
  • RP, Division of Research and Publication, Department of, State
  • RSC, Records Service Center, Department of State
  • SACMED, Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean
  • SC, Security Council of the United Nations
  • SC, Secretary’s Staff Committee, Department of State
  • SEA, Division of Southeast Asian Affairs, Department of State
  • SEAC, South East Asia Command (British World War II Theater Command)
  • SEC, Securities and Exchange Commission
  • Secdel, indicator for telegrams to the United States Delegation to the Council of Foreign Ministers and the Paris Peace Conference, when headed by the Secretary of State
  • S.J. Res., Senate Joint Resolution
  • SPA, Office of Special Political Affairs, Department of State
  • SSR, Soviet Socialist Republic
  • SWNCC, State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee
  • SYG, Secretary-General of the United Nations
  • TAC, Interdepartmental Trade Agreements Committee
  • TRC, Office of Transport and Communications Policy, Department of State
  • TrustCo, Trusteeship Council of the United Nations
  • TVA, Tennessee Valley Authority
  • TWA, Trans World Airlines
  • UE, Office of the Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, William L. Clayton
  • Undel, indicator for telegrams to the U.S. Delegation to the London meeting of the General Assembly, January–February 1946
  • UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
  • UNLC, United Nations Liaison Committee, Department of State
  • UNO, United Nations Organization
  • UNRRA, United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
  • urtel, your telegram
  • USA, United States Army
  • USDel, United States Delegation
  • USN, United States Navy
  • VD, Visa Division, Department of State
  • V–J Day, the day of Japanese capitulation, September 2, 1945
  • WE, Division of Western European Affairs, Department of State
  • WFTU, World Federation of Trade Unions
  • WHO, World Health Organization