Abel Cantu, M.A.: lecturer

              ABEL CANTU, M. A., 
Lecturer


Figure




DESCRIPTIVE LECTURES ON 
MEXICO —
The Land of Gold and Dreams

WHERE THE WEALTH OF THE WORLD BREAKS THROUGH




Chicago, Ill., April 18, 1921.




Just a word about the wonderful personality of this painter of word-pictures.




He is a highly educated native of Mexico, who radiates such a forceful personality as to claim the attention of the most careless listener.  His words vibrate such a wealth of intelligence that your audience will regret the hour passed so quickly and will clamor for another opportunity to hear Mr. Cantu.




From one who knows Mr. Cantu's ability.




CHICAGO BUSINESS COLLEGE, L. Mae Virden.





PROF. ABEL CANTU:  
Teacher, Lecturer



P
ROFESSOR CANTU comes from a fine Mexican family of culture and education.  He has been educated in the schools and colleges of his own land as well as having done graduate work in American colleges and universities.  For two years he taught Spanish at the University of Wisconsin and lectured under the auspices of the University Extension Bureau.  For the past four years he has been teaching Spanish in the great Crane Technical High School of Chicago, and has been connected with the largest lyceum bureaus of the country as a lecturer.




P
ROFESSOR CANTU is a ready speaker, enthusiastic in style, clear and distinct in his enunciation, with just enough Spanish accent to lend attractiveness to his style.  He understands the temper of an American audience and mingles his serious discussion with a delightful humor.  During the last five years he has appeared on scores of occasions before some of the most discriminating audiences of the middle west.  He has spent four consecutive summers as a lecturer with two of the largest Chautauqua systems in the country.





Informative Lectures on Mexico



1.


TOMORROW IN THE LAND OF TODAY
Lecture on Opportunity—Present and future outlook.

2.


MEXICO AND THE MEXICANS
In this lecture Prof.  Cantu combines two or three lectures:  a bit of ancient Mexico, wealth of its soil, mineral and agricultural resources, matchless beauty of scenery, rivaling and surpassing Italy and Switzerland; its romantic past and present; manners, customs, in contrast with those of other peoples, the past revolution and present outlook for a greater Mexico.  This lecture has been given hundreds of times before clubs, Chautauqua and lyceum audiences over a territory covering 20,000 miles.

3.


MEXICO IN STORY AND MOVIE
A lecture of the type presented by Burton Holmes, world lecturer.  When a stereopticon is available, Prof.  Cantu uses nearly one hundred beautifully colored slides.




VALLEY OF MEXICO AND POPOCATEPETL MOUNTAIN




For Lectures, Committees may communicate directly with Prof. Cantu, 2246 W. Van Buren Street Phone:  West 1120—Leave messages






MEXICO:  Friend or Foe




QUAINT VILLAGE VALLEY OF MEXICO IZTACCIHUATL MOUNTAIN





F
IFTEEN million customers of American merchants live just across the Rio Grande.  Two hundred million people could live in Mexico and be less crowded than western Europe.  The richest oil fields and mineral deposits in North America and in the world are to be found inside the Mexican borders.  With enormous wealth, ancient civilization and surprising capacity for development, the future of Mexico is a question of the greatest moment to the United States.




A
MERICA will choose between Mexico's enmity and Mexico's friendship.  Her friendship will cost far less than her enmity.  Prof. Cantu, an educated Mexican, in full sympathy with his own people and with a full understanding of the American ideal, seeks to develop a better understanding of Mexico in the United States with the belief that a better understanding means friendship.  His appeal to the United States is to send teachers to Mexico rather than bullets.





SOME REPRESENTATIVE ENGAGEMENTS



CHICAGO



Windsor Woman's Club


Park Ridge Woman's Club


Association of Commerce


Foreign Club


Illinois Athletic Association


American Association of Engineers


Chicago Chapter


Woodlawn Woman's Club


Baptist Ministers' Association


Methodist Ministers' Association


St. Paul Methodist Church


Second Presbyterian Church


Hyde Park Travel Club

HIGHLAND PARK, ILL.
Ossoli Woman's Club

ST. LOUIS, MO.
Tuesday Literary Club


MADISON, WIS.
Saturday Lunch Club


BATON ROUGE, LA
University of Louisiana, General Assembly


GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.
Women's Literary Club


BLOOMINGTON, ILL.
Illinois Co-operative Chautauqua


MADISON, WIS.
Two years' work with the lecture Department of the University of Wisconsin


KANSAS CITY, MO.
White-Meyers Chautauqua System, two seasons


LIMA, OHIO
Allen Lyceum Bureau


SYRACUSE, N. Y.
Royal Lyceum Bureau


SUMMER 1920
Redpath-Vawter Chautauquas


ELGIN, ILL.
Association of Commerce







LETTERS AND PRESS COMMENTS



SHAW AND LOAR
:




GENTLEMEN
:—Professor Abel Cantu, of the University of Wisconsin, has done considerable lecture work under the auspices of this department.  We consider him quite a discovery.  He is witty and brilliant, uses excellent English, and speaks with great fire and temperament.  He is a native Mexican, was educated in that country, and took a post graduate course in this country.  I think you should consider yourself very fortunate to be able to secure him for some lectures on your Chautauqua circuit next summer.  He spoke here recently before the Saturday Lunch Club, the largest organization of its kind in the state, I believe, an aggregation of business and professional men.  He convulsed the audience with laughter and secured their very generous applause at the close of the lecture.  President Van Hise, himself, was chairman of the meeting and several men of state-wide and national prominence were present.  I am sure that Prof. Cantu would more than please your audience.




Yours sincerely,
(Signed) 
PAUL F. VOELKER
, Head of Lecture Department of the University Extension Division, University of Wisconsin.




Yesterday's orator is un 
Hombre simpatico
 in every sense of the term and, withal, a born orator, so that it was a great pleasure to hear him.—


The Burlington 
Gazette,
 Burlington, Iowa.





THRILLING STORY OF MEXICO Native of Mexico Gives New Impression of His Country

Professor Cantu, cultivated Mexican, lecturer to large audiences throughout the country, minister of conciliation between the United States and her much misunderstood and maligned neighbor to the south, gave a magnificent address last Wednesday night at the monthly rally of the Federated church.His address changed the usual attitude toward Mexico.  His graphic story of the undreamed of wealth of this unknown land was greatly appreciated.  Back of the vein of delicious humor which ran through the whole speech was a deep patriotic passion for his people who have suffered so much.He touched in barest outline on what a just policy toward Mexico on the part of America would be.  He showed that the interests of a few men in Wall street are more determinative of foreign policy oftentimes than the welfare of 15,000,000 people.  He made good his contention that there is no country in the world more rich in scenic contrasts and unrivaled splendor than his native country.
Professor Cantu has been asked to return to Harvey at an early date to give his illustrated lecture on 
Mexico.
  No such address on Mexico has ever been given in Harvey before.  His hearers will watch for an opportunity to hear him again with eager anticipation.—


Harvey (Ill.) 
Tribune,
 March 17, 1922.




I consider Professor Abel Cantu particularly a usable number because of his educational value.  In the first place, he is an educated Mexican himself; is a graduate of some of our best schools, and has been a successful professor of Spanish for some time.  He gives a very informing lecture on Mexico, and in addition, cultivates the friendly relations between his country and ours, and shows that what we need to do is to help them with their education and religion, instead of fighting them with guns.  Personally, he is a fine young man.




JAMES H. SHAW
, Chautauqua Superintendent.






He was a regular whirlwind last night.  Cantu's talk was full of witty jokes as well as good, valuable information.




W. K. 
MITCHELL
, Dist. Representative (University of Wisconsin Extension Division.)




Besides being very interesting and instructive, Professor Cantu's lecture was interspersed with numerous anecdotes and applause from the large audience.—


State Times Daily,
 Baton Rouge, La.




AN INTERESTING SPEAKER



Professor Cantu spoke for about an hour and held the closest attention of his hearers.  His manner of speech is short and direct.—


The Pantagraph,
 Bloomington, Ill.