When President Roosevelt recently announced the destroyers-for-bases deal with Britain, the strongest criticism Wendell Willkie could offer was that the end achieved was good, but the means bad. That sounds weak from a candidate. It isn't the sort of thing crowds cheer. It is unfortunate that Mr. Willkie couldn't make more of it, for he has a real issue in the President's handling of the deal.

Very few people put much stock in Attorney-General Jackson's opinion that the deal was in accord with international law. The plain fact is that one man, the President, surrounded by war-minded, Anglophile advisers, decided this thing on his own responsibility, and confronted Congress and the nation with the finished article, without asking for their approval either before or afterwards.

Mr. Roosevelt excused his action on the ground that he was speeding aid to Britain, which the majority of Americans want done. But the greater majority of Americans who favor a strong national defense had no chance to give their opinion of the deal. Mr. Roosevelt has thus set a precedent of great danger.

Apparently he is making full use of that precedent now, by preparing to sell some of our "Flying Fortresses" to Britain. Mr. Willkie was caught napping on the destroyer deal, with no chance to comment until afterwards. Now, with another horse trade in progress behind the scenes, he has a chance to attack something better than an untouchable fait accompli, and score a real hit on the President's dictatorial methods. If his protest against the destroyer deal was sincere, he will surely not let this opportunity go begging.