In a revealing peek at the whirring gears of the bureaucratic mind, the Information Bulletin of the U.S. Military Government in Germany (OMGUS) solemnly totted up the abbreviations in common usage among occupation forces in Germany. From AACS (Airways and Air Communication Service) to ZVL (German central movements directorate), the compendium plodded through 581 separate items. Samples: BE (British Element), CROWCASS (Central Registry of War Criminals and Security Suspects), GMZFO (Military Government of the French Zone of Occupation), PUP (Public Utilities Panel), WAGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Scouts).
The list was only an abridgment of the OMGUS lexicon. Most technical symbols for intra-office usage, explained the bulletin apologetically, had been omitted.
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