World War I 100 Years Ago: March 30-April 5

Indianapolis News, April 2: Soldiers stationed at the Speedway aviation depot wielded picks and shovels today in the warm spring sun constructing a network of trenches on vacant ground at Ohio and Alabama Streets, opposite City Hall. Indianapolis is not expecting an attack from German troops; the trenches are not to be defensive but are a novel offensive weapon in the third Liberty Loan publicity campaign. The system of zig-zag front line trenches of the latest design, compete with barbed wire entanglements, will provide the city’s citizens with the actual conditions under which our soldiers in France are fighting the Germans. The completed trenches will be manned by troops from Ft. Harrison and visitors will be able to look through periscopes across “no man’s land” just as the soldiers “over there” watch the German foe.