▁proposal ▁to ▁the ▁Vil nius ▁Conference ▁held ▁on ▁ 1 8 – 2 2 ▁September ▁ 1 9 1 7 . ▁To ▁avoid ▁the ▁police , ▁they ▁had ▁to ▁use ▁fake ▁pass ports ▁( P ur ick is ▁used ▁Piet aris ▁last ▁name ). ▁They ▁were ▁held ▁up ▁in ▁Berlin ▁and ▁arrived ▁only ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁September . ▁Pur ick is ▁delivered ▁a ▁speech ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁argued ▁that ▁Lith u ania ▁should ▁polit ically ▁align ▁itself ▁with ▁Germany ▁and ▁United ▁States . ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁well ▁received ▁as ▁Lith u ani ans ▁suffered ▁from ▁har sh ▁policies ▁of ▁German ▁authorities ▁and ▁felt ▁no ▁interest ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁After ▁the ▁conference , ▁Pur ick is ▁briefly ▁visited ▁his ▁relatives ▁and ▁then ▁depart ed ▁to ▁Stockholm ▁to ▁attend ▁the ▁Lith uan ian ▁conference ▁of ▁ 1 8 – 2 0 ▁October ▁that ▁included ▁Lith uan ian ▁represent atives ▁from ▁Lith u ania , ▁Russia , ▁United ▁States , ▁Sc and in avia , ▁and ▁Switzerland . ▁The ▁conference ▁approved ▁the ▁resolution ▁adopted ▁by ▁the ▁Vil nius ▁Conference , ▁recognized ▁the ▁Council ▁of ▁Lith u ania ▁as ▁the ▁legit imate ▁representative ▁of ▁the ▁Lith uan ian ▁nation , ▁and ▁re iter ated ▁Lith u ania ' s ▁desire ▁for ▁full ▁independence . ▁ ▁On ▁their ▁way ▁back ▁to ▁Switzerland , ▁Pur ick is ▁and ▁Ol š aus k as ▁again ▁met ▁with ▁Erz berger ▁who ▁promised ▁to ▁ease ▁German ▁military ▁occupation ▁and ▁replace ▁it ▁a ▁civil ian ▁administration , ▁re open ▁Vil