Empowered by Maapäev, the Salvation Committee issued the Estonian Declaration of Independence on 24 February 1918 in the middle of a political power vacuum created by the retreating Russian and advancing German troops during World War I.

The Salvation Committee went underground and Jüri Vilms volunteered to go to Finland to take funds and instructions to the Estonian missions working to get diplomatic recognition for the newly sovereign nation.

After the beginning of World War I Vilms became involved with the Estonian National Movement, publishing articles demanding autonomy for Estonia within the Russian Empire.

Together with Heinrich Koppel, Otto Strandman and Jaan Raamot the legal preparations for the administrative reforms establishing the Autonomous Governorate of Estonia were compiled.

[3] Juri Vilms has been characterized by Jaan Kross in his historical novel Tabamatus,[4] translated into Swedish Motstånd,[5] Finnish Kuningasajatus[6] and French Dans l’insaisissable.