BRITISH HISTORY SINCE THE WAR The war was over ; few people, if any, discerned the dangers lurking in the full play which was given to that feeling. The Coalition Government, precipitating a general election in Dec. 1918, not merely played upon it, but played down to it. Little was before the electors except a loose and far too easy summary of the mind of the moment provided by Lloyd George. Some of it was an idealistic, if rather sentimental, programme of social amelioration to cement the comradeship between classes which, it was hoped, would prove to be one great good amid the evils of war. The rest of it was hasty generalization about bringing to book those responsible for atrocities (it was believed generally that the German emperor, in self-sought exile in Holland, could actually be brought to trial) and about indemnities and repara tions from Germany. Loose appeal as it was, it succeeded hand somely. There was to be no chance of a. return yet to party di visions ; Lloyd George insisted on pledged candidatures, and all independent candidatures were outlawed. In the end Labour, the one party which could afford to defy the outlawry, secured S7 seats; Liberals, as such, secured only 26. Pledged Coalition sup porters numbered 484.