Tsai Yuan-pei had been living in France when he received a telegram from the Ministry of Education, hoping to entice him to come back to take the reins at Beida: "The nation is returning to normal, and urgently in need of education. Now we are making your virtuous self master of the capital's highest academic institution."
蔡元培當時正旅居法國，接到教育部電報「國事漸平，教育宜急。現以首都最高學府，尤賴大賢主宰」，希望他回國接任北京大學校長。