al ) ▁President ▁K aar lo ▁Ju ho ▁St å hl berg ▁had ▁p ardon ed ▁many ▁Red ▁( social ist ) ▁prisoners ▁of ▁the ▁Finn ish ▁Civil ▁War , ▁the ▁worst ▁pover ty ▁caused ▁by ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁and ▁the ▁Civil ▁War ▁was ▁over , ▁and ▁the ▁Agr arian ▁leader , ▁Ky öst i ▁Kal lio , ▁was ▁prepar ing ▁a ▁law ▁( L ex ▁Kal lio ) ▁that ▁would ▁dist ribute ▁the ▁excess ▁far ml ands ▁of ▁wealth y ▁land own ers ▁to ▁the ▁former ▁ten ant ▁far mers ▁and ▁other ▁land less ▁rural ▁people . ▁The ▁Social ▁Democr ats , ▁led ▁by ▁V ä in ö ▁T anner , ▁had ▁committed ▁themselves ▁to ▁the ▁peace ful ▁and ▁dem ocr atic ▁purs uit ▁of ▁social ist ▁reform ▁goals . ▁The ▁mostly ▁Agr arian - Progress ive ▁minor ity ▁govern ments ▁purs ued ▁moder ate ▁and ▁conc ili atory ▁policies . ▁Comp uls ory ▁school ing ▁of ▁Finn ish ▁children ▁was ▁en act ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 1 . ▁The ▁Commun ists ▁d ared ▁to ▁organ ize ▁the ▁Social ist ▁Work ers ' ▁Party ▁before ▁the ▁elections , ▁so ▁they ▁preferred ▁open ▁political ▁activity ▁to ▁under ground ▁political ▁activity . ▁Short ly ▁before ▁the ▁election ▁campaign ▁officially ▁started , ▁the ▁Finn ish ▁Parliament ▁rejected ▁a ▁five - year ▁defence ▁treat y ▁between ▁Finland , ▁Poland , ▁Lat via ▁and ▁Est onia . ▁En ough ▁deput ies ▁doubt ed ▁the ▁ability ▁of ▁Poland ▁and ▁the ▁Balt ic ▁countries ▁to ▁defend ▁Finland