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.

  • A–, airgram
  • A/MS, Management Staff, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Administration
  • AD, Acción Democratica, a Venezuelan political party
  • AEC–CCA, Atomic Energy Commission–Commission for Conventional Armaments Committee (United Nations)
  • AF, Office of African Affairs, Department of State
  • AFL (AF of L), American Federation of Labor
  • Agri Att, Agricultural Attaché
  • AID, Agency (Act) for International Development
  • AJIL, American Journal of International Law
  • Amb, Ambassador
  • AP, Associated Press
  • APRA, Alianza Popular Revolueionaria Americana, a Peruvian political party
  • AR, Office of Regional American Affairs, Department of State
  • ARA, Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, Department of State
  • ARA/E, Economic and Finance Adviser, Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, Department of State
  • ARA/I, Intelligence Adviser, Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, Department of State
  • AREA, Aerovias Ecuatorianas, S.A., an Ecuadoran airline
  • AV, Aviation Policy Staff, Office of Transport and Communications Policy, Department of State
  • BA, Buenos Aires
  • BNA, Office of British Commonwealth and Northern European Affairs, Department of State
  • CA, Office of Chinese Affairs, Department of State
  • CAA, Civil Aeronautics Administration
  • CAB, Civil Aeronautics Board
  • CADE, Compañía Argentina de Electricidad (Argentine Electrical Company), in Buenos Aires
  • Carburo, Fabrica Nacional de Carburo y Metalurgica, S.A., a Chilean ferromanganese plant
  • CAS, controlled American source
  • CAVE, Compañia Aerea Viajes Expresos, a Venezuelan airline
  • CAVN, Compañía Anonima Venezolana de Navegaciôn (Venezuelan Navigation Company)
  • CCA, United Nations Commission for Conventional Armaments
  • CCTA, Commission de Cooperation Technique en Afrique (Commission for Technical Cooperation in Africa South of the Sahara), World Health Organization
  • CFM, Council of Foreign Ministers
  • C.F.R., Code of Federal Regulations
  • CFRS, Committee on Foreign Requirements and Supplies
  • CGT, Confederación General del Trabajo (General Confederation of Labor), in Argentina
  • CIA, Central Intelligence Agency
  • CINCARIB, Commander in Chief, Caribbean
  • CIO, Congress of Industrial Organizations
  • circ agam (circagam), circular airgram
  • CMA, Compañía Mexicana de Avioción, S.A., a Mexican airline
  • CMC, Collective Measures Committee, United Nations
  • CNUS, Comité Nacional de Unidad Sindical (National Committee for Trade Union Unity), in Guatemala
  • COAS, Council of the Organization of American States
  • COAS/OC, Council of the Organization of American States, Office of the Chairman
  • CON, Office of Consular Affairs, Department of State
  • COPEC, Compañía de Petroleos de Chile, a subsidiary of Corporación Fomento de la Producción, a government-owned corporation established in 1939 for Chilean development
  • CP, Commercial Policy Staff, Office of Economic Defense and Trade Policy, Department of State
  • CPC, Combined Policy Committee
  • CPSU, Communist Party of the Soviet Union
  • CRI, Committee for Reciprocity Information
  • CRO, Commonwealth Relations Office (British)
  • CSAV, Compañía Sudamericana de Vapores (South American Steamship Company), in Chile
  • CTAL, Confederación de Trabajadores de America Latina (Confederation of Latin American Workers)
  • CTC, Confederación de Trabajadores de Colombia (Confederation of Workers of Colombia)
  • CTE, Confederación de Trabajadores del Ecuador (Confederation of Workers of Ecuador
  • CTG, Confederación de Trabajadores de Guatemala (Confederation of Workers of Guatemala)
  • C.U.T., Comité de l’Unité Togolaise (Committee for Togolese Unity)
  • CZ, Canal Zone
  • D, member of the Democratic Party in the United States
  • DE (D–E), destroyer escort
  • del, delegate; delegation
  • Depcirgram, Department of State circular airgram
  • Depcirtel, Department of State circular telegram
  • Depgam, Department of State airgram
  • Dept, Department (usually the Department of State)
  • Deptel, Department of State telegram
  • D.O., Defense Order
  • DOD, Department of Defense
  • Delga, series indicator for telegrams from the United States Delegation at the United Nations General Assembly
  • DPA, Defense Production Administration
  • DRA, Division of Research for American Republics, Department of State
  • DSDel, Department of State Delegation
  • E, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic Affairs
  • EAS, Executive Agreement Series
  • ECA, Economic Cooperation Administration
  • ECAFE, Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East
  • ECLA, Economic Commission for Latin America
  • ECOSOC, Economic and Social Council of the United Nations
  • ED, Investment and Economic Development Staff, Office of Financial and Development Policy, Department of State
  • Emb, Embassy
  • Embdesp, Embassy despatch
  • EmbOff, Embassy officer
  • Embtel (Emtel), Embassy telegram
  • ENDESA, Empresa Nacional de Electricidad, a subsidiary of Corporación de Fomento de la Producción, a government-owned corporation established in 1939 for Chilean development
  • ER, Economic Resources and Security Staff, Office of International Trade Policy, Department of State
  • ERP, European Recovery Program
  • ESA, Economic Stabilization Agency
  • EUR, Bureau of European Affairs, Department of State
  • Eximbank, Export-Import Bank of Washington
  • FAO, Food and Agriculture Organization
  • FASG, Foreign Aid Steering Group
  • FBPC, Foreign Bondholders Protective Council
  • FCED, Friendship, Commerce, and Economic Development (treaty)
  • FCN, Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation (treaty)
  • FE, Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs, Department of State; Far Eastern
  • FEA, Foreign Economic Administration
  • FO, Foreign Office
  • FOI, Freedom of Information
  • FonAffs, Foreign Affairs
  • FonMin, Foreign Minister
  • FonOff, Foreign Office
  • Fon Off Secy, Foreign Office Secretary
  • FPRY, Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia
  • FSG, Federación Sindical de Guatemala (Guatemalan Trade Union Federation)
  • FWG, Final Working Group
  • FY, fiscal year
  • FYI, for your information
  • G, Deputy Under Secretary of State
  • G–3, Army general staff section dealing with operations and training at the divisional or higher level
  • G–4, Army general staff section dealing with supply at the divisional or higher level
  • GA, General Assembly of the United Nations
  • GADel, Delegation at the United Nations General Assembly
  • Gadel, series indicator for telegrams to the United States Delegation at the United Nations General Assembly
  • GATT, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
  • GER, Bureau of German Affairs, Department of State
  • GSC, General Staff Corps, United States Army
  • HICOG, United States High Commissioner for Germany
  • H.J. Res., House of Representatives Joint Resolution
  • H.R., designation for legislation introduced in the House of Representatives
  • HR, human rights
  • IAD, Division of Acquisition and Distribution, Department of State
  • IADB, Inter-American Defense Board
  • IA–ECOSOC (IAECOSOC), Inter-American Economic and Social Council
  • IAM, Fourth Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of American States
  • IATA, International Air Transport Association
  • IBEC, International Basic Economy Corporation
  • IBRD, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
  • IC, Interim Committee of the United Nations General Assembly
  • ICAO, International Civil Aviation Organization
  • ICFTU, International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
  • ICJ, International Court of Justice
  • IDAB, International Development Advisory Board
  • IIAA, Institute of Inter-American Affairs
  • ILC, International Law Commission of the United Nations General Assembly
  • ILO, International Labor Organization
  • IMC, International Materials Conference
  • IMCO, International Maritime Consultative Organization
  • IMF, International Monetary Fund
  • INS, Immigration and Naturalization Service
  • IO, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Department of State
  • IPM Min, designation for records of the meetings with Italian Prime Minister De Gasperi on his visit to Washington in September 1951
  • IRCA, International Railways of Central America
  • IRO, International Refugee Organization
  • ISA, Office of International Security Affairs, Department of State
  • ISAC, International Security Affairs Committee
  • ITO, International Trade Organization
  • ITP, Office of International Trade Policy, Department of State
  • IT&T (ITT), International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation
  • JBUSDB (JBUS Def Bd), Joint Brazil-United States Defense Board
  • JBUSDC, Joint Brazil-United States Defense Commission
  • JBUSMC, Joint Brazil-United States Military Commission
  • JCS, Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • L, Office of the Legal Adviser, Department of State
  • L/A, Assistant Legal Adviser for Administration and Foreign Service, Department of State
  • L/ARA, Assistant Legal Adviser for Inter-American Affairs, Department of State
  • L/C, Assistant Legal Adviser for International Claims, Department of State
  • L/E, Assistant Legal Adviser for Economic Affairs, Department of State
  • L/T, Office of the Assistant for Treaty Affairs in the Office of the Legal Adviser, Department of State
  • L/UNA, Assistant Legal Adviser for United Nations Affairs, Department of State
  • LA, Latin America
  • LADels, Latin American Delegations at the United Nations General Assembly
  • LAV, Linea Aeropostal Venezolana, a government-owned Venezuelan airline
  • LN, League of Nations
  • LRPG, Long Range Proving Ground
  • LST, landing ship, tank
  • MAP, Military Assistance Program
  • MATS, Military Air Transport Service
  • MCDN, Movimiento Civico Demcaratica Nacional, an Ecuadoran political party
  • MFN, most favored nation
  • MID, Office of Middle American Affairs, Department of State
  • MinFin, Minister of Finance
  • MDAA, Mutual Defense Assistance Act
  • MDAP, Mutual Defense Assistance Program
  • MINMET, Minerales y Metales, S.A., an Argentine mining company
  • MNR, Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario (Nationalist Revolutionary Movement), Bolivian political party
  • MPAA, Motion Picture Association of America
  • MPR, Mongolian People’s Republic
  • MSA, Mutual Security Agency; Mutual Security Act (of 1951)
  • mytel, my telegram
  • NA, Office of Northeast Asian Affairs, Department of State
  • NAC, National Avisory Council on International Monetary and Financial Problems
  • NARBA, North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement
  • NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
  • NEA, Bureau of Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs, Department of State
  • NFTC, National Foreign Trade Council
  • NGO, nongovernmental organization(s)
  • niact, night action, communications indicator requiring attention by the recipient at any hour of the day or night
  • NKs, North Koreans
  • NME, National Military Establishment
  • NNG, Netherlands-New Guinea
  • NSA, National Shipping Authority
  • NSC, National Security Council
  • NWC, Office of North and West Coast Affairs, Department of State
  • NZ, New Zealand
  • OAR, other American Republics
  • OAS, Organization of American States
  • ODM, Office of Defense Mobilization
  • OFD, Office of Financial Development Policy, Department of State
  • OFMA, Office of Foreign Military Affairs, Department of Defense
  • OIT, Office of International Trade, Department of Commerce
  • OMA, Office of Military Assistance, Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (International Security Affairs)
  • OMP, Office of International Materials Policy, Department of State
  • OOF, Office of Operating Facilities
  • ORIT, Organización Regional Inter-americana de Trabajadores (Inter-American Regional Organization of Workers)
  • OSA, Office of South American Affairs, Department of State
  • OSD, Office of the Secretary of Defense
  • PASO, Pan American Sanitary Organization
  • PAU, Pan American Union
  • PED, Petroleum Policy Staff, Office of International Materials Policy, Department of State
  • Pemex, Petróleos Mexicanos, S. A., a Mexican Government agency responsible for management of the Mexican petroleum industry
  • PJBD, Permanent Joint Board on Defense
  • P.L., Public Law
  • POC, Peace Observation Commission
  • PRC, People’s Republic of China
  • PriMin, Prime Minister
  • PRP, Partido Revolucionario Proletario (Revolutionary Proletarian Party) Venezuelan political party
  • R, member of the Republican Party in the United States
  • RCT, Regimental Combat Team
  • reDeptel, regarding Department of State telegram
  • reEmbtel, regarding Embassy telegram
  • reftel, reference telegram
  • remytel, regarding my telegram
  • reurtel, regarding your telegram
  • RFC, Reconstruction Finance Corporation
  • ROK, Republic of Korea
  • R.S., Revised Statutes
  • S, Office of the Secretary of State
  • S/ISA, Office of International Security Affairs, Department of State
  • S/P, Policy Planning Staff, Department of State
  • SA, Saudi Arabia
  • SA, Union of South Africa
  • SAG, Saudi Arabian Government
  • SAMF, Sindicato de Acción y Mejoramiento de los Ferrocarrileros (Railwaymen’s Action and Improvement Union), Guatemalan labor union
  • SAPA, South African Press Agency
  • SC, Security Council of the United Nations
  • SCC, Interdepartmental Committee on Scientific and Cultural Cooperation
  • SD, Shipping Policy Staff, Office of Transport and Communications Policy, Department of State
  • Sec Gen, Secretary-General
  • SG, Steering Group
  • SHADA, Société Haitiano-Americaine de Development Agricole (Haitian-American Society for Agricultural Development)
  • S.J. Res., Senate Joint Resolution
  • SOAFR, Union of South Africa
  • Sobramil, Sociedade Brasiliera de Mineraçao, Ltda., a Brazilian mining company
  • Sominar, Sociedad Minera, S.A., an American-owned mining company in Argentina
  • S.R., Senate Report
  • STICA, Servicio Tecnico Interamericano de Cooperación Agricola (Inter-American Technical Service for Agricultural Cooperation)
  • SWA (SWAFR), South West Africa
  • SY, Division of Security, Department of State
  • SYG, Secretary-General of the United Nations
  • TA, technical assistance
  • TAC, Interdepartmental Committee on Trade Agreements
  • TC, Trusteeship Council of the United Nations
  • TCA, Technical Cooperation Administration, Department of State
  • Tcdel, series indicator for telegrams from the United States Delegation at the United Nations Trusteeship Council
  • TF, Task Force
  • TIAS, Treaties and Other International Acts Series
  • TO&E, Table of Organization and Equipment
  • UFCO, United Fruit Company
  • UKDel, United Kingdom Delegation
  • UKUN, United Kingdom Mission at the United Nations
  • UM, designation for documentation circulated in the Under Secretary of State’s meetings; Under Secretary’s meeting
  • UN, United Nations
  • UNA, Bureau of United Nations Affairs, Department of State
  • UND, Office of Dependent Area Affairs, Department of State
  • UNDel, Delegation to the United Nations
  • UNE, Office of United Nations Economic and Social Affairs, Department of State
  • UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
  • UNGA, United Nations General Assembly
  • UNI, Division of International Administration, Department of State
  • UNKRA, United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency
  • UNLC, United Nations Liaison Committee, Department of State
  • UNO, United Nations Organization
  • UNP, Office of United Nations Political and Security Affairs, Department of State
  • UNSCOB, United Nations Special Committee on the Balkans
  • UNSYG, Secretary-General of the United Nations
  • UP, United Press
  • UPU, Universal Postal Union
  • urinfo, your information
  • urtel, your telegram
  • USA, United States Army
  • USAF, United States Air Force
  • USDel, United States Delegation
  • USES, United States Employment Service
  • USGADel, United States Delegation at the United Nations General Assembly
  • USIE, United States Information and Educational Exchange Program
  • USMC, United States Marine Corps
  • USN, United States Navy
  • USRep, United States Representative
  • UST, United States Treaties and Other International Agreements
  • USUN, United States Mission at the United Nations
  • UTC, Union de Trabajadores de Colombia (Union of Workers of Colombia)
  • VD, Visa Division, Department of State
  • WCF, Working Capital Fund (United Nations)
  • WE, Office of Western European Affairs, Department of State; Western European
  • Weeka, weekly, inter-agency, summary analysis from United States diplomatic missions
  • WFTU, World Federation of Trade Unions
  • WHO, World Health Organization
  • WIDF, Women’s International Democratic Federation
  • WPC, World Peace Conference
  • XMB, Export-Import Bank of Washington
  • YPFB, Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos, a Bolivian Government petroleum agency