Editing Risto Ryti (section)

=== Governor of the national bank ===
In 1925 Ryti was also nominated as a presidential candidate at the age of 36. In the second round of voting, he received the most support. However, in the third round the [[Swedish People's Party of Finland|Swedish People's Party]], which held the balance, moved their votes to [[Lauri Kristian Relander]], and Ryti lost to Relander by 109 votes to 172.{{sfnp|Turtola|2000|page=406}} Ryti's support increased over the years but was never enough in elections. During the 1930s he withdrew from daily politics, but influenced economic policies. Ryti was an orthodox supporter of [[Classical liberalism|classical liberal]] economics. He made his goal to tie the value of [[Finnish markka]] to the [[gold standard]]. Unlike many other European countries, Finland did not choose [[deflation]]ary solutions under his leadership; and in 1926 the country shifted to the gold markka. However, after the [[Great Depression]] in 1929, Finland was forced to abandon the gold standard following the example of Great Britain.{{sfnp|Turtola|2000|page=406}}

In the 1920s, Ryti established international contacts with the banking world of [[Scandinavia]], and with Great Britain and the United States.{{sfnp|Turtola|2000|page=407}} The ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'' recognized his success. In 1934 he was awarded a British honour, being created a Knight Commander of the [[Royal Victorian Order]] (KCVO) due to his great merits in Anglo-Finnish relations. He had excellent relations with the leaders of the [[Bank of England]], due to his similar economic policies, such as the belief in the gold standard until the [[Great Depression]], and due to his excellent command of English. In fact, Ryti could regularly telephone the Bank of England's leaders when he wanted to discuss economic or financial policies with them (see Martti Turtola, "Risto Ryti:  A Life for the Fatherland"). Ryti participated in the activities of the League of Nations as a member of many committees dealing with economic questions and [[monetary policy]].{{sfnp|Turtola|2000|page=407}}

In the politics of the 1930s, Ryti was an important background figure. His social policy was two-minded. Ryti opposed work programmes for the [[unemployed]] and spending on assistance for poor. On the other hand, he thought that the benefits of the strong economics should be distributed evenly over the whole population, not just a few. Ryti played an important part in creating the social [[welfare spending|welfare]] of the late 1930s. In general, Ryti was opposed to [[state intervention]] in business and industry. He opposed [[Socialist economics]] and especially its Soviet forms. Furthermore, Ryti had experienced the Russification period and the Civil War, making him [[anti-Soviet]].{{sfnp|Turtola|2000|page=407}} Ryti approved of neither German [[Nazism|national socialism]] nor right-wing extremism, and he also opposed the [[Lapua movement]]. Ryti was an admirer of British civilisation and [[Culture of the United Kingdom|culture]] and of American [[free enterprise]].{{sfnp|Turtola|2000|page=408}}