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Show RUSSIANS ARE ON THE DEFENSIVE IN COURLAND Berlin, via London, Juno 7. As a result of what Is described In military mili-tary circles here as almost complete exhaustion the Russ'an offenslvo in Courland Is declared to have shifted to a weak defensive, ncalnst which the Germans dally aro making headway, head-way, which Is only overshadowed by their gains In Gallcla. The Russian troops In this section It Is said, ore mostly old reservists, who aro aided by laborers who havo been hurriedly nrmed. Tho Gorman advance northenBt nnd south of Slmv-II Slmv-II wns checked with difficulty by tho Russians, who barely succeeded In bringing up tholr Nineteenth corps to Mltau. Directly heforo Lilian, tho Russians nro declared to have withdrawn their lines sJiout sixty kilometres (about forty miles) . Tholr activity Is llmtod to shelling tho Intervening village, in order to mako tho German advance moro dlffl cult. Officers say tho weak ness of tho Russians Is noticeable nil along the line, but nowhero moro so than near Mltau, It Is asserted that tho Russian o."-fonslvo o."-fonslvo movements near tho Dubysaa nnd Ehnvll woro only weak and temporary tem-porary and woro accompanied by great losses. An illustration of whnt ho (Jeclores is tho genoral attitude of tho.Rubslan3 was given by nn officer thus: "Recently sovornl hundred prisoners prison-ers woro being escorted from Mltau to TilRlt by a dozen German land-wehr land-wehr troops when a strong RiHsIni) cavalry patrol appeared. Tho Germans Ger-mans abandoned tholr prisoners to flftlit off the Russians Tho engage-i engage-i "i lart'. ,1 nn h ur and drew the Germans several -kilometers away. "When they returned after defeating defeat-ing the Russians, expecting to And their prisoners gono, they were amazed amaz-ed to discover tho prisoners scat-id In a ditch, anxiously awaiting them and fearful lest the Russians should bo victorious and they would havo to go back into the service." Tho situation at Llbau is said to bo Improving dally. Tho- factories aro reopening and tho population is returning to work no longer fearful of tho Germans, |