His personal life was troubled around this time; in January 1913 he received news of the suicide of Hjalmar Johansen, who had returned in disgrace from Amundsen's successful South Pole expedition.
Kehidupan pribadinya terguncang pada masa itu; pada Januari 1913, ia mendapatkan kabar bunuh diri Hjalmar Johansen, yang iri hati dengan kesuksesan ekspedisi Kutub Selatan Amundsen.