World War I 100 Years Ago: Sept. 30-Oct. 6

From The Indianapolis News, Monday, October 2, 1916: Fred Van Nuys arrived in Indianapolis last night from the military camp at Llano Grande, Texas where he had gone to register voters among the Indiana National Guard members. The Democratic state committee sent Van Nuys to the border and Gen. Lewis, Indiana brigade commander, gave him the freedom of the camp. Van Nuys set-up a registration table in a tent, and word got around that all Indiana voters could complete their voter applications there. He found among 3,000 Indiana soldiers, about 800 are under the age of twenty-one. “The soldiers are in fine condition. There is very little sickness among them, and they appear to be well contented and to be enjoying the training,” reported Van Nuys. “Those men are real soldiers. There are no tin soldiers on the border.”