The office of the Society in Geneva was officially closed and its operations transferred to Berne, Switzerland.

Brother Rutherford wrote to the French-speaking brothers, his letter appearing in the November 1919 French Watch Tower. After having expressed regret over the Freytag affair and explaining that now Brother Ernest Zaugg in Berne was in charge of the French-language work, he said:

“We now hope that the Lord will see fit to make unity and harmony prevail among the French-speaking friends. . . . If circumstances had been more favorable, I would have been happy to visit you, but in this moment of great distress upon individuals and nations, it seems impossible to do this. However, if, by the Lord’s providence, the way is opened up next year, I hope to come to see you.”

The new setup for managing the work in France, as organized by Brother Rutherford, was as follows: Conrad Binkele, whose office was in Zurich, was in general charge. Ernest Zaugg, with an office in his home in Berne, was the manager of what was called the “French work,” under the supervision of Brother Binkele. Brother Zaugg had two local “assistants and counselors,” namely, Joseph Lefèvre, in Paris, and Emile Delannoy, in Le Havre. Lefèvre was Zaugg’s assistant for the publishing of literature in French, and Delannoy was to help him take care of the needs of the French congregations. In addition, Brother Henri Roussel was put in charge of a literature depot at his home, 11, rue du Rhin, Paris.

On August 27, 1919, the French International Bible Students Association was formed, with its headquarters at 11, rue du Rhin, Paris. Of course, the work in France was still under the direction of the Swiss branch, but this local association gave the French organization a solid legal footing.

Early in 1920, Brother Zaugg made a long trip to visit the brothers in France (including Alsace-Lorraine) and Belgium. Back in Berne, he wrote a letter to the brothers, saying:

“We were deeply touched to see the zeal of the brothers and sisters who are at the ready awaiting orders from the Society and the equipment necessary for starting the work of extending the harvest. Everywhere I got the firm feeling that the terrible testing of these past years has produced fruitage in our beloved brothers in France, Belgium and Alsace, and we are convinced that the Supreme Master has thus prepared his own so that they can finish by means of his instruments the work that must still be done in the French-speaking territories.”

The teaching abilities of the brothers increased as the “Minister of the Word of God” (called V.D.M.) questions were used. These consisted of a four-page written review made up of 22 questions on Scriptural subjects. The French brothers would send these question sheets to the Berne office for checking. Those who answered satisfactorily at least 85 percent of the questions were considered proficient ministers of the Word of God.

After World War I, Germany returned Alsace-Lorraine to France. Also, the Saar coal mines were allotted to France as war compensation, although the Saar itself was placed under the League of Nations for a period of 15 years. However, both of these territories were once again placed under the administration of the Society’s office in Berne.

Toward the end of 1920 the creation of the “Central European Office” was announced. The countries under the supervision of this office in Zurich (formerly called “German branch in Switzerland”) were Switzerland, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Austria and Italy. Brother Binkele was appointed its manager, and Brother Zaugg was confirmed as manager of the “French work,” with offices in Berne.