Strictly speaking it is true. "Ale" means the type of beer that used to be brewed before they introduced hops a few centuries back, and there still are some beers made without hops which are correctly called "ales" in that sense.

Most of the beer referred to as "Real Ale" are not actually ale at all, it's just a way of saying traditionally brewed and served. Of course language changes and it's a bit over pedantic to object to ale being used as a synonym for beer generally.