The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-23
PEACE SERMON IN LIFE
AND WORKS Of RUSSIA'S
TRAGIC POET OF WAR
Powerful Sayings of Verestchagln
Recalled by the Great
Artists Death.
WAR PICTURE IMPOSSIBLE
Foremost Battle Painter Declared
Terrible Scene Could Not Be
Reproduced in Canvas.
Special Correspondence of the Journal.

Special Correspondence of the Journal
VIENNA. May 10.-Verestchagin fought
against war, loathed il, yet at the same
time loved strife. His nature. tempera-
ment bringing up, made him glory where
his reason, his broad humanity condemned.
He YVES a courageous man. but time and
again told me that he bowed most pro-
foundry when he saw grenade coming.
"A real battle picture is an impossible
ity," this foremost battle painter Of the
times used TO say. In battle events
change so quickly and persistently that
something new, something unexpected oc
ours every moment. Besides, every one
acts like possessed. Soldiers, officers, gen.
erals, correspondents, artists, everybody
bowls. curses vociferates; in the end all
are hoarse
IF anybody tells you of valor in action
put him down liar visionary The
thing does not exist. After talking with
tens of thousands of soldiers of all grades
and conditions-witness the consensus OF
expert opinions. AS for myself, when L
am on the firing line l keep saying TO my
self: It's coming, brother, this time you
will catch 1t sure. Why did L not have
sense enough 10 remain at a goodly dis
lance; | could paint as we'll afterward. As
to the question of valor, General Skobelen,
who, in his day. had the reputation of the
bravest man In the wide world. once said
10 me:
That any one be unafraid in battle is
rot; the opposite is true. Personally am
so COMPOUNDED timid in battle that as soon
as the bullets are whizZing ] fear my last
hour has struck. But | trained myself TO
look fierce-such a mask easily passes for
bravery And, besides, If you once begin
paying compliments TO shrapnels and sugar
loafs there is no stopping, there are so
many. When struck down the Green
hill l felt like kicking myself ASS L
murmured, here is your reward for fol-
lowing this butcherlike profession" L was
firmly convinced that l would die like
dog--food for carbon. 4"
When Verestchagin conducted me
through the exhibition of his paintings OF
Napoleons retreat from Moscow he was In
an anecdotical mood, and said all sorts Of
nonsense. In the face of such horrors
how can you joker" / demanded.
" If l don't laugh 1 will have to cry he
replied. and i am convinced he meant what
he said. On that occasion he told me that
Kaiser Wilhelm received him most ungra-
ciously when he exhibited in Berlin
Your paintings are the most powerful
propaganda against war l know Of, he
growled, and we need war, don't you know
that? His Majesty tried TO convince me
that l gave one-sided view of war only.
NO TWO SIDES TO WAR.
LAS if there were two sides to war. a
pretty and fetching one and another the
reverse of beautiful repelling!' cried
Verestchagin. 1 had opportunity to talk
the matter over with Prince Frederick
Charles OF Prussia, who immortalized him
self by his conduct of the Franco German
war. only people who have never been to
war talk of its gories,' said the conqueror
of Metz Prince George of Saxony, anoth-
er great army leader expressed himself
similarly"
On another occasion Verestchagin said to
| ma rhn fhar= hQrr a
for their interests while staying at home
themselves to manufacture public opinion
and petty royalties attached to headquar-
terS 10 see and TO be seen are forever dilat-
ing on the herosm of action How much
action. do you think. is there ia a war
lasting year so? At best the average
soldier faces action for a few hours, or a
few days all told. During the rest of his
time he is doing service such the law
imposes upon criminals. He must hunger,
toll necessarily in dust mud, snow or ice.
ships of all sorts and he is convinced that
If he comes out of it alive he will for the
rest of his years be a sufferer from rheu-
matism or worse.
Mind baroness, / am speaking of per-
sonal experiences. To learn what war real
ly is shouldered a rifle and took sword or
lance in hand. / went TO attack at the
head Of an infantry column. / charged bat
teries, riding fierce horse, as excited
and as cowardly as myself. And at one
| time | went out as a NAVY laying mines.
But torpedo warfare is evidently not in my
| line. l got seriously wounded at the game
| came near losing my life"
| Poor Vassili 1t sounds like a PRESENT.
| ment. / can almost imagine his thoughts
| during the catastrophe that put an end to
| his career: i knew it-mines are out of my
| line
He told me all about the humanity of
war the ill-used term. so much prated
about. The vast resources of the state,
| he said, are employed for destruction; for
| purposes of humanity, of charity, there is
| "a miserable DittanCp: there al Sc
| for the sick and wounded, for prisoners of
war. but death. The men fall sick in
droves and die like flies, the Red Cross not
withstandng. Several times / travelled in
the wake of conducts of prisoners. i found
! the road strewn with dead and dying
ratified ammunition wagons; cannons
ground their bleeding limbs into the mud
the sides of the road served as impromptu
cemeteries for tens OF miles, where corpses
| and live men. too, were heaped up. Hun
dreds of bleeding hands you see out
stretched toward you, as you ride past
with your heart of stone"
PYRAMIDS OF HEADS.
And your 'Apotheosis of War; is 1t a
true pictare?' / asked.
| LAS true anything I said or did "
replied Vassili. Those pyramids of human
| skulls 1 encountered twenty-five years ago
when travelling along the Chinese Russian
frontier. Two years earlier 1 had passed
| over the same territory. Flourishing vii
lages-a happy, contented people then-now
sterile desert. crewling hyenas and few
| men and women worse than wild beasts.
Arrived In the neighborhood OF the towr
| of Tchugutchok. / marveled still more al
| the desolation confronting me. Though the
| walls, towers and roofs were dragon
| crowned and shining in the sun as for
| nerly, the trees along the road life
| less; dead were grass and bushes. l stood
| at the gate, no sentinel, no official de.
| handing tax. No human face anywhere
| In the mud and mire of the main street
noticed furniture. clothes, military APP.
| paratus. tiny shoes OF Chinese women
| heads and limbs of men, women and chill
! dren-a fearful chaos. | made my way
| to the citadel Below the walls and bat
| tlements-human heads and limbs and car
| casses in heaps, hills, mountains of them
while at several points. where the bodie.
/ of the murdered garrison lay, there were
veritable pyramids OF skulls and bones. Iol
ask whether the 'Apotheosis of War Ii
| real. baroness. 1 might have painted ten
| twenty of the kind. and yet have enough
skulls TO spare 10 people the cemetery of
very big town.
.'Ah, Baroness. the unhappy place wa